Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Selfishness (02/14/05)
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TITLE: I Want To Talk About Me | Previous Challenge Entry
By Mitzi Busby
02/21/05 -
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It is a sin to be given mercy, forgiveness, life and love without sharing it with others. If Jesus is in our hearts, then we must bear fruit and allow others to be blessed and comforted in the same way that we have received from our Savior. If we have the Light of Love in our lives, yet hide it under a bushel, then it will smolder and dim. It is all about touching others who are in need with the Love of Christ.
I cheat myself out of God’s blessings for my life when I am selfish. If I am looking out for me, then I am not looking to Him for guidance. If we put ourselves first, then that is the only glory we will see. We will not see His glory if we are seeking recognition and earthly gain. In Babel they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth” (Genesis 11:4 ).
John, the Beloved, wrote to the church, “but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us” (3 John 1:9-10). “So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.”
We live in a world of self-absorption which leads to misery and bondage in our lives. Pride and selfishness go hand in hand. “People curse the man who hoards grain, but blessings crown him who is willing to sell” (Prov. 11:26). Things haven’t changed much since Old Testament times. Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, "Shall your countrymen go to war while you sit here? (Numbers 32:6)
It is only when we go about washing our brother’s feet and putting others first, that we see His Spirit move. This comes after we humble ourselves and make ourselves vulnerable. If we examine our hearts for pride and selfishness it will lead to an attitude of humility and encouraging others. Selfishness is the exact opposite of humility.
It is in our human nature to put ourselves first and others last. We must pray and stay in the Word so that our minds can be renewed. Only through fellowship with His Spirit, can we combat the tendency to be selfish. People don't care what you know until they know you care.
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