DON'T BE SELFISH
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together
and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use,
it will be measured to you Luke 6:38 NIV
Child Of God, Are You A Selfish Person?
Unless you plan on moving to another planet by yourself, in order to successfully
function in this world and honor God, you must learn how to coexist with others
and get along with people. There is no way around it. Relating to others is
a necessary part of life.
Therefore, the best thing for you to do is figure out how to fulfill the Lord’s
command to love your neighbor as you love yourself by learning how to develop
healthy relationships with those around you. God is able.
When we look through scripture, we discover that one of the main causes of problems
in the relationships that people in the Bible had with one another was selfishness.
Whether it was Cain and Abel, Joseph and his brothers, David and his wife Michal,
or Jesus and the scribes and Pharisees, whenever there was trouble in a relationship
it was because someone put their wants above God’s wants, desire or commands.
In the same way, selfishness is the root cause of the problems in most relationships
today…somebody does not want to humble themselves and submit to the will
of God. Is this why you are having trouble in some of your relationships? Are
you or someone else in your relationships being selfish and only focusing on
satisfying your own wants and desires?
Jesus tells us in Luke 9:23 that in order to follow him, the first thing we
must do is “deny self”. You have to learn how to be less self-centered
and more Christ-centered. Satisfying your own selfish, often sinful, desire
must take a back seat to fulfilling God’s righteous desire. This truth
even applies to our relationships with others and gives us an idea of what is
necessary in order for us to fulfill God’s command to love your neighbor
as you love yourself. If you want to have better relationships, don’t
be selfish. In your dealings with others, whether it’s your spouse, children,
parents, family, co-workers, neighbors or church family, make sure your thoughts
and actions toward others are based on what God wants, desires and commands
and not just want you want or feel. Give love, mercy, compassion and forgiveness
because if you want God to give these things to you, you must continually give
these things to others.
WEEKLY CHALLENGE
This week, read and reflect on Luke 6:27-42. Identify the areas of your relationships
where you may be exhibiting selfishness. Have you been withholding love from
someone? Pray and ask God to forgive your selfishness and help you become more
Christ-centered in how you treat others. Practice doing the things Jesus commands
in Luke 6:27-42. Remember, how you treat others will determine how God treats
you.
By Anthony Campbell
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