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Practise Being Unselfish (1)
‘You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.’
Philippians 2:5
‘Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too’ (v. 4 NLT). 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 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, practise being unselfish.
written by Bob Gass
‘You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.’
Philippians 2:5
‘Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too’ (v. 4 NLT). 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 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, practise being unselfish.
written by Bob Gass
