Are you selfish? We
are all selfish from time to time, whether we want to admit it or not. We are all guilty of thinking of ourselves
before or without thinking of others.
Society teaches us to care only for ourselves, to seek ourselves and
esteem ourselves.
Selfishness can cause us to be demanding of others. Selfishness often ruins things. Selfishness complicates our lives. Selfishness leads us to do whatever it takes
to look out for our #1. Selfishness can
cause us to lie, pout, manipulate, distort the truth – anything to get our own
way. Selfishness blocks us from a
happier, more peaceful life. Selfishness
is a nasty business.
“14 But if you are bitterly jealous
and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with
boasting and lying. 15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of
wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16 For wherever
there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil
of every kind.” (James 3:14-16 NLT)
Scripture refers to selfishness with a negative
context. The acts and behavior of
selfishness are against God’s Will and Word.
Selfishness is a sin. We
understand that, yet we still struggle to tame it.
OVERCOMING
SELFISHNESS
Admit your
selfishness. Be honest with yourself
about it. This isn’t easy. Admitting the ugly parts of ourselves is
painful. We all want to avoid pain. Self-preservation kicks in and we avoid the
truth. Which is worse – admitting our
selfishness or continuing to live a selfish life? Admitting the truth about our selfishness is freeing. It allows you to let go and begin
healing. It has to start with admitting
it to ourselves and to God.
Repent and change
your attitude. Repent to God of your
selfishness and ask for forgiveness. Humble
yourself before God. Ask Him to change
your heart and your attitude. Understand
that it is no longer “I” but “we” – you and Christ.
“He died for everyone so that those
who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will
live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.” (2 Corinthians 5:15 NLT)
“Turn away my eyes from looking at
worthless things, and revive me in Your way.” (Psalm 119:37 NKJV)
We can’t accomplish the act of selflessness by
ourselves. It goes against every fleshy
instinct we were born with. Thankfully,
God can accomplish the impossible. We
need the power of the Holy Spirit working in us and through us. Ask for God’s assistance as you battle
selfishness. Take selfish thoughts
captive. 2 Corinthians 10:5 states
“…bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…”
Follow the model of
Christ. Jesus Christ came down to
earth and became a servant to all.
Instead of exercising His power and authority to be served, He chose to
come down to earth to serve His people.
He, who is above all, and before all, instead came to be our example and
our Savior. Jesus Christ, in every way,
modeled true selflessness.
“For even the Son of Man came not
to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.””
(Mark 10:45 NLT)
Jesus knows that the only way for us to live together and experience
the abundant, joyful, peaceful lives He wants for us is to live selflessly.
Give generously. Give generously of your time, your energy,
your attention, etc. Invest in something
other than yourself. Do not worry about
people taking advantage of your generosity...allow the Lord to deal with those
folks. The more you give, the easier it
will become. God will present
opportunities for you to be selfless; take advantage of those opportunities and
give generously.
“Give, and you will receive. Your
gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for
more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine
the amount you get back.” (Luke 6:38 NLT)
“3 Let nothing be done through
selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others
better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests,
but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4 NLT)
Examine yourself
daily. Every day, examine yourself
to see if you were selfish. Think about
your thoughts, attitude, words and actions.
Be honest with yourself. Stay
away from blaming others. Don’t make
excuses for any selfish behavior you may have had. Repent and ask God for forgiveness for the
times you have slipped. Ask for
forgiveness from those whom you affected.
Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try again. Don’t give up and don’t give in.
Love God and love
others. Love kills selfishness. 1 Corinthians chapter 13 states that “love
does not seek its own”. Serving others
in love slays the selfishness inside you that constantly wants its own way. Love gets the focus off you and onto someone
else. Follow Jesus’ commandment to “love
one another as I have loved you.” Do it
not because you have to, but because you get to.
“Heavenly Father,
thank You for every blessing, every good and perfect gift You have provided to
me. Help me, Lord, to put others before
myself and to have a heart to see them as You do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
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