4:4 – Give Unselfishly

#faithbites #faithjourney unselfishly

I want to live a life where I give unselfishly of my time and energy to others. Most days I feel like I do that. Some days, I feel like I should do more but can’t because my tank is empty. It’s those days when I need to return to the faucet that is God’s love and get refilled.

The question I often ask myself is why should we live unselfishly and how do I balance my needs and the needs of others. I have the answers, or I should say God provides, the answers to the first question, and the second one is much harder.

Do you live unselfishly? If so how do you balance your own needs and those of others?

Scripture

• Philippians 2:3 -Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
• James 3:14-16 – But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
• Matthew 6:8 – Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Reflection

Jesus is very clear as is Paul in his writings to the church at Philippa. We should not count ourselves as being above others. We shouldn’t have jealousy or ambition in our hearts or try to make ourselves look better. The last part saying that behavior as earthly, unspiritual, demonic, and vile should be a wake-up call.

While we know why we shouldn’t be selfish, how do we make our needs known and ensure we aren’t being taken advantage of? The advice I have is to bring it to God. In Matthew, we see that God knows what we need and will provide it for us. We just need to ask.

On a personal note, I wrestle with being unselfish and taking care of myself. At times I feel that if I take care of myself I’m being selfish. I don’t think these are mutually exclusive. We can take care of ourselves AND live unselfishly.

What suggestions do you have for how to strike this delicate balance? What has been successful for you?

I pray that you are able to give of what God has given and take care of yourself as well.

Challenge

What do you do to live an unselfish life? Write down specific examples.

What do you do to take care of yourself? Write down specific examples.

Compare the lists. Are they compatible? Are you missing anything? If so, bring it to God and ask for clarity and direction.

Prayer

Father God, you challenge us to live an unselfish life. At the same time, you want us to be happy and healthy. Your people are struggling with this balance. We pray for direction and balance as we move through 2021 trying to make decisions that honor your commandments and help us live a more Christ-centered life. We ask this in your name, Amen.