Living Selflessly (Part 1)

chika ebuzor

April 18, 2015 11:18 AM

Scripture: Philippians 2:5 (NIV): In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ.

The Bible

God is love, and love is selfless. Selfishness is the cause of sin. When you think of yourself alone, you short-circuit the flow of the blessing of God in your life. God has put you here to bless others, replenish the earth and impact the world. Christ also displayed his heavenly father’s selfless nature by dying for us.

Here is what United Christian Broadcasters has to say:

'Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too’ (v. 4 NLT). Spiritual maturity is the ability to see and act in the best interests of others. Immature people have difficulty seeing things from someone else’s point of view. They rarely concern themselves with what’s best for the other person. In many ways they’re like children. In ‘Property Law as Viewed by a Toddler’ Michael V. Hernandez describes the world from a typical child’s viewpoint:

1) If I like it, it’s mine.

2) If it’s in my hand, it’s mine.

3) If I can take it from you, it’s mine.

4) If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine.

5) If it’s mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.

6) If I’m doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.

7) If it looks like mine, it’s mine.

8) If I saw it first, it’s mine. 9) If I can see it, it’s mine.

10) If I think it’s mine, it’s mine.

Unfortunately, maturity doesn’t always come with age; sometimes age comes alone. You must fight your inherent selfish attitude, and that can be a lifelong battle. But it’s an important one, because if you don’t win you’ll end up focused on your own agenda and overlook other people.

Unless somebody’s important to your cause or your interests, they won’t get your time or attention. The Bible says, ‘You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had,’ and everything He did, He did for others. It comes down to this: if you’re serious about following in His footsteps, practise being unselfish.

chika ebuzor