Folks, I have been overwhelmed by the decline of society. Multiple times a day I hear of or see things that make me think "you've got to be kidding?!" We live in a day where many things are unbelievable, but we are seldom surprised by each new development throughout the day. Some of us find ourselves questioning "how much more will God allow before he says ENOUGH!"? Feel free to correct me if you think I have come to the wrong conclusion, but the ills of society are the result of one thing - SELFISHNESS.
At every turn someone is demanding their "rights" and screaming intolerance when someone disagrees with their ideas or viewpoints. Sadly, this mindset spills over into the lives and relationships of Christian folks as well. I say this from personal experience. How often do we get our feelings hurt by another and act out in un-Christ-like ways? How often do we justify our words or actions by pointing out the wrong that has been done by others? It's easy to recognize how selfishness plays a part in the economy. Whether it is for money, power or just "stuff", the quest for MORE to benefit self comes at a price. Sometimes relationships with family members suffer. Sometimes relationships with God suffer. Often our character suffers. This issue is something that is pointed out repeatedly in the Bible.
JAMES 3:16 TEV
16 Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is also disorder and every kind of evil.
PHILIPPIANS 2:3-4 NKJ
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.
LUKE 9:23-25 NKJ
23 Then He said to them all, `If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
24 `For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
25 `For what advantage is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?
1 JOHN 3:11-18 NKJ
11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,
12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous.
13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.
14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.
15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17 But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
ROMANS 12:10 NKJ
10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
1 CORINTHIANS 10:24,33 NKJ
24 Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well-being.
33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
PHILIPPIANS 2:3-8 NKJ
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.
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
ROMANS 15:1-3 NKJ
1 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.
3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me."
JOHN 15:12-13 NKJ
12 "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
13 "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
GALATIANS 5:14 NKJ
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-7 NKJ
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Folks, we're human. We're going to screw up. These verses can only be seen in our lives when we purpose to see them fullfilled. I don't know how many times I have heard the defense "I didn't mean to....." We must be pro-active in taking steps to purpose not to fall into the trap of the enemy known as selfishness. From the original sin, the root of all evil has been selfishness. The fall of satan from God's favor was due to selfishness. I put myself at the head of the pack in saying, we need to take time to seek God's guidance in showing favor to others above ourselves. That's a tough pill to swallow sometimes. As we begin to make this a habit, it will become less of a chore and more of a delight.
Have a blessed day.
