Each time you get cut off in traffic, or a neighbour plays music way too loud in the early morning, or you decide to eat the last Tim Tam without asking if your partner would like it, that's selfishness at work.
Each time someone decides they are more important than everyone else, selfishness is saying "eat my dust, suckers".
Selfishness is a direct result of the 'Me generation" lifestyle. The philosophy that says 'look after yourself first', and 'you are the most important person in the world'. The sad thing is, you find this philosophy plainly written in many 'self-help' books.
By any reasonable way of thinking about it, selfishness is a problem causer. It creates conflict. It escalates one above the many. It puts others down. It causes pain.
In the Bible it's called a sin.
It's a part of the human condition, which the Bible calls our fallen nature.
Thankfully, the Bible doesn't just identify the problem, it teaches a lifestyle that endevours to defeat the problem.
In a letter called Philippians, it says "let each of you regard one another as more important than himself."
What a life changing revelation! To treat other people as being more important than yourself, to give others then best, to give way, to think of others first.
It's a huge turn-around to the way the world pushes us to live. So how about just starting small. Work your way up slowly. Start to practice giving way on the road. Make way for people. Think about what you do, that you don't create a problem or more work for others.
Start to live with other people in mind.
Worthy post Greg and so very true. The amazing thing is that when you live second to others you find that the enrichment of life is rewarded back to you; you get the inner blessing for blessing others. You still need to value yourself but to also give beyond yourself. Your inner-being is filled to overflow and it becomes second nature to want to love others in this way.
ReplyDeletePride is an issue for all of us and this can edge its way in and try to put us back in a place of self importance. This is when we have to monitor our motives to stay on track and so continue to lead that enriched life. Prideful or broken people can trigger our insecurities too so It takes a lot of grace to put some people above ourselves.
In Matthew 5 It talks about there being nothing extraordinary about loving those who love us. It is when we extend our love to those who are less lovable that we can break barriers and touch lives for God and man.
Thanks Kayleen, from reading your comment, I think you can teach more than how to paint! You've added a lot to the concept of dealing with the balance of self-worth and selflessness.
ReplyDelete