Slaying Dragons: Selfishness — Friday
Phillippians 4:12b-13
I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (NIV)
Can I be honest with you? I didn’t want to write these devotionals. Not that I don’t like writing devos—just not these. You see, I’m dealing with stuff (as you are, too, I’m sure). My wife's illness, lots going on at work, having too much to do at home, and a total lack of motivation to deal with any of it. I’m tired! Does any of this sound familiar to you? I’m sure it does. But writing these devos has forced me to begin to see the root cause of my feelings and understand what it’s going to take for me to break out of it. I can’t help many of the circumstances in my life. But why am I feeling the way I am? Selfishness. I told you at the beginning of the week that I was selfish, and I am!
So let’s look at the cure. I’ll break it down into five things I’m slowly learning to incorporate into my own life:
Humility. I’m not the center of anyone's universe—not even mine. So I need to stop acting like it. Jesus, the God of the universe, died for me, so I need to live more for Him. Humility is not thinking less of myself, but thinking of myself less.
Serving others quietly. No need for recognition. It’s not about me, so I need to act like it.
Washing feet. Being available to help those who need it. Being willing to get my hands dirty, and not thinking of certain tasks as beneath me.
Letting it go. It might be money I don’t have, or harsh feelings I have toward others. Whatever it is, I need to give it to Jesus—out of my poverty (poverty has many forms)—and see what He does with it.
I just need Jesus. When I’m hungry, I need Jesus. When I’m lonely, I need Jesus. When I don’t know where to turn, I need Jesus. Contentment in life only comes from Jesus. He has shown me before—and I’m trusting Him to show me again now—that with any challenge I face, I can do it through Him and the strength He provides.
In short, I need to stop focusing on myself and, instead, focus on others and on Jesus. That’s the cure for selfishness.
Friday’s Reflection
Alright… I’m going to finally go change that stupid furnace filter (I’m working on it!). What about you? What’s a small step you can take to fight selfishness today?