Manage Our Selfishness….

If I were to state the basics of life, including Christianity, the most important thing we can do as human beings is this: learn to manage our selfishness. It seems too simple, but if you think about it, it’s what drives sinful behavior. It starts wars, arguments, divorce, destruction, or any type of evil behavior. It’s what separates, divides, and destroys relationships. It’s the root of greed, power struggles, and corruption. It’s what bad parenting, teaching, and managing people are all about. Its the source of anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses. It’s what gets more people into “hot water” than any other cause. If I were to tell you, “learn to manage your selfishness”, do you think your life would be better? Of course it would. Now, how do we do it? On our own it’s impossible. We can’t. If we try we will fail, and fail miserably. The only way we can learn to manage our selfishness is by obtaining the power of God. It’s His Spirit that enables us to overcome our inability to deal with our selfishness. How is that possible? What’s the opposite of selfishness? Love. And what does the Bible say God is? God is love, right? Does this makes sense? The only way we will ever be able to overcome our selfishness is to learn to manage it. It’s a daily, moment by moment process. And it’s only possible through love. Faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is Love. Jesus said, “they will know us” by what? Our love. When we love, our focus tends to shift off of ourselves, at least off of our own problems and onto what we can do to help someone else. This focus shift is selfishness management 101. God gives us the ability to love, ask Him today. To help you “Love one another”, and watch the power of selfishness start to lose its grip on you, do what Jesus tells us to do, “die to self”.

5 Are you seeking great things for yourself? Don’t do it! I will bring great disaster upon all these people; but I will give you your life as a reward wherever you go. I, the Lord, have spoken!’ ” Jeremiah 45:5