Jesus offers us abundant life. Life to the full.
Life that is satisfying.
I came so they
can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.
John 10:10b (The Message)
But the world is upside down.
You see, experiencing satisfying life is in direct
proportion to being other-focused... to giving up selfishness for a selfless
life... to giving more than getting. But the messages we hear are to grab, get,
push, climb, win. Upside down.
That’s why, when we see the runner at a Special
Olympics event stop to help another runner instead of winning, it touches
something deep inside us. Causing even hardened reporters to tear up.
To turn life right side up we must identify where
self-focus still rules and allow God to transform us into other-focused people.
Most people would say they are not selfish. It’s
hard to blame them. We want to be more giving than getting, but that old nature
keeps rearing it’s very ugly head. And it is so subtle. In fact we can serve
other people and still be selfish. So I came up with a checklist for us. See
how you do.
You
might be selfish if you get angry when someone cuts you off.
You
might be selfish if you refuse to forgive.
You
might be selfish if you don’t allow yourself to be inconvenienced.
You
might be selfish if you don’t give back to God what is His.
You
might be selfish if you are not generous with other people.
You
might be selfish if you are unhappy, (because selfless people are content).
You
might be selfish if you refuse to help certain people.
You
might be selfish if you are lazy.
You
might be selfish if you think that what you are doing is more important than
what others are doing.
You
might be selfish if you insist on having your way.
You
might be selfish if you always have to win or always be right.
You
might be selfish if you refuse to sincerely apologize.
You
might be selfish if you like being in control and find it hard to compromise.
You
might be selfish if you hear constructive criticism as a personal attack.
You
might be selfish if you find it difficult for someone else to be the focus of
attention.
You
might be selfish if you don’t want to work with others on a team.
You
might be selfish if you choose events only for your benefit rather than how you
can help others.
You
might be selfish if you usually give negative feedback first.
You
might be selfish if you are irritated when others ask you for help.
You
might be selfish if you hear a message and think “______ (fill in a name)”
should hear it.
You
might be selfish if you think, “someone should do something about this” when
you could do it.
You
might be selfish if you are self-conscious about helping strangers in public.
You
might be selfish if you are grumpy, sour and complaining.
You
might be selfish if you only help others when it makes you feel good.
I’m not pointing fingers or trying to guilt you. It’s
just that I WANT you to experience JOY that comes from the other-focused abundant
life. And you will only experience satisfying life in direct proportion to
being other-focused.
Or as Jesus puts it...
... remembering
the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to
receive.’ Acts 20:35b (NIV84)
Boldly, Herb
To receive blog posts directly to your email sign
up on the bar to the right or at: http://groups.google.com/group/fwgs
To listen to Herb via the internet go to
http://www.newsongpittsburgh.org/ and click on the sermons link
