These days society focuses an awful lot on “self”. Self-help. Self-confidence. Self-improvement. Self-indulgence. We are programming entire generations to believe that the world revolves around them. And this sort of self-centeredness is completely contrary to what Jesus taught and exemplified.
Jesus told us to turn from our selfish ways. (Luke 9:23) He spent his entire ministry not worried about his own comfort or what he would gain, but about those around him that were in need … either physically or spiritually. And when he left this earth and took his rightful place in heaven, his followers picked up where he left off. And all these generations later, those of us that have chosen to follow Christ should be living the same way and teaching our children to do so, as well.
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. (Philippians 2:3-7 NLT)
…I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved. (1 Corinthians 10:33 NLT)
Today’s common mantras are:
“If it feels good, do it.” – “Put yourself first.” – “If you don’t worry about yourself, no one will.”
But that’s not the way God wants us to approach life. He has put us where we are to show his love to the world around us. He is concerned with each one of us, and if we let him become the center of our world, then we’ll be eternally cared for. And then we can turn our care to the world around us.