Practice Being Unselfish – Part 1

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Philippians 2:5

‘Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too’ (v. 4). Spiritual maturity is the ability to see and act in the best interests of others. Immature people have difficulty seeing things from someone else’s point of view. They rarely concern themselves with what’s best for the other person. In many ways they’re like children. In Property Law as Viewed by a Toddler Michael V. Hernandez describes the world from a typical child’s viewpoint: 1) If I like it, it’s mine. 2) If it’s in my hand, it’s mine. 3) If I can take it from you, it’s mine. 4) If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine. 5) If it’s mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way. 6) If I’m doing or building something, all the pieces are mine. 7) If it looks like mine, it’s mine. 8) If I saw it first, it’s mine. 9) If I can see it, it’s mine. 10) If I think it’s mine, it’s mine. Unfortunately, maturity doesn’t always come with age; sometimes age comes alone. You must fight your inherent sinful selfish attitude, and that can be a lifelong battle. But it’s an important one, because if you don’t win you’ll end up focused on your own agenda and overlook other people. Unless somebody’s important to your cause or your interests, they won’t get your time or attention. The Bible says, ‘You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had,’ and everything He did, He did for others. It comes down to this: if you’re serious about following in His footsteps, practice being unselfish.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me leave behind the childish attitude that “it is mine” and be a person who looks to the interests of others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen