This has been the worst week ever because....
I need money
I miss my boyfriend
I don't like my job
I am arguing with my boss
I have to move..
I need...
I want...
I can't stand it when..
I never get to.......
I........
That was the beginning of many many conversations people had with Andy this week, one of the most difficult weeks of ministry for him in the past 10 years.
I was angry and frustrated with the selfishness of others until I took a minute to examine my own ugly heart.
I care deeply about my friends and family; I usually try to look for the best in people, and in the past few years God has done a lot in my heart in the area of loving my enemies and doing good to those who hate me. (this has been a rough lesson for me, by the way)
Here's something I don't do.
Philippians 2:3
Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself.
NLT translation
Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.
NET translation
Think of others as better than yourself??
Treat one another as more important than yourself!?!
Earlier this week, Andy was having horrible stomach pains. While I was taking care of him I kept thinking..
"I really can't get this, I have way too much to do this week"
"I wonder if he touched anything else I need to disinfect"
and "ugh, it takes me so long to get over being sick, if I get this ..."
I have been surprised and mortified by my own selfishness this week, and this is just one example. Since I am worried about making a good impression (contrary to the above scripture verse) I will spare you more examples.
I'm left with two questions...
What does it look like to live a life where you consider others better than yourself?
Is it possible to accomplish this without others constantly taking advantage of you?
you are so right. and its sometimes so hard to look past our own stuff - even when we hear other stories of people going through so much worse... and we're all infiltrated with that with haiti right now - yet still we complain.
ReplyDeletei struggle with this.
I was running by on my way to somewhere else....
ReplyDeletewhen the word "Selfishness" stopped me in my tracks. I read here instead.
As my world went from being a hearing person, to one who no longer does, "selfishness" was the first word that I learned in ASL.
Imagine a chalk board on the wall, and a person with long fingernails, screeching all the way down the board with their fingernails. It is such pain to the ears, that being deaf would be a relief. It chills to ponder.
We look away for relief.
But now, instead of a vertical chalk board, picture instead, the same hand extended horizontally. It is clawed in formation, and pulling everything in sight, toward themself. There is no sound; no screeching. Just silence.
But in the invisible world, this clawing with your hands and drawing ALL things to yourself, is a sign language word called "selfishness".
The effect is the same.
The screeching and clawing vertically on a chalk board sends chills of discomfort to any who witness and hear.
So too, with selfishness in sign language. Though horizontal, grabbing and clawing, there is no noise to hear, but the invisible becomes visible as you witness "selfishness" .....drawing in, everything,...to yourself. Nothing is spared.
You deserve all when you are selfish.
Your questions are worthy.
"What does it look like to live a life where you consider others better than yourself?"
This can be viewed in every hospital in town. Go to the maternity section and look through the window glass. Babies are everywhere.
Parenting always involves seeing and considering, this child of yours, better than yourself.
Our heavenly Father feels the same toward His children, and touched time, from eternity, via His son for 33 years or so.
"Is it possible to accomplish this without being constantly taken advantage of you?"
Everyone takes advantage of everyone, especially if they think they will not be caught. But when you consider others better than yourself, you become free of the hurt of betrayal (ask Christ about Judas or Peter).
Nothing can harm you anymore when you are the servant, and all others are the master.
That's why the Master taught us to serve; to consider others better than we are.
It is not for them, and their benefit.
It protects us....from the wretchedness we really are.