When we are teeming with anger, we know it. When we are trembling in fear, we know it. And when we are trapped by envy, we know it. But when we are SELFISH, well…not so much.
That’s how sneaky and insidious selfishness can be in the life of a Christian.
In many cases, this blind-spot is created by our hubris and a sense—conscious or unconscious—of spiritual elitism. Another opening for the selfishness assassin is nothing more than spiritual laziness.
But the cause does not matter.
God cannot unleash his awesome power to blow up our selfishness until we surrender it to him. And that is not a one-time event. Our predilection to be selfish, seemingly hard-wired into us, makes us vulnerable to slip into that state at any time.
That’s the message in this message!
Beating back selfishness takes a two-punch action plan every day—1) Be in God’s Word and pray; and 2) Be ACTIVELY SEARCHING for the first sign of selfishness so we can toss it to God immediately when the doorbell announces its arrival.
We must be ready to wage war against the spiritual forces hurtling toward us out of the darkness. We must be ready to fight off the world’s persistent and pervasive call to be selfish. We must be ready to think about and pray for and serve EVERYONE.
Others may chase selfish pleasure and prestige and power but God commands us to live on that gate’s other side and “take up the weapons of the Lord Jesus Christ and stop paying attention to your sinful nature and satisfying its desires” (Romans 13:14).
I ask God to help me take my focus off me and put it on him so I can, by his power, be thinking about others…praying for others…and helping others.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
How would you score on the SELFISHNESS TEST if you took it right now?
“And look out for one another’s interests, not just for your own.” Philippians 2:4
