Avoid being selfish

Philippians 2:4 “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others”

The Amplified Bible put our opening text this way, “Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others”. Many problems in the world today is just a matter of selfishness. Looking at your own personal interest, without any consideration for other people only makes you mean and a user of people.

Selfishness can be considered as a “little fox” that destroys the whole vine (Songs of Solomon 2:15). Selfishness makes you act without consideration for other people. Do you only look at your interest in life? In your interactions with people, do you use them or value them?

Today, we have a lot of people who only complain about how people should treat them and handle them, but they never look at how they can also treat these same people from whom they demand some kind of favours or privileges.

What are you demanding from people? What expectations do you want people to discharge towards you?

The truth is that, whenever you are only concerned with your own personal profit and pleasure you are being selfish. Most people act out selfishness unknowingly. Over the years, I have learnt not to use people around me. As a Pastor, I try as much as possible to look at the needs of people around me, than to crave for some exceptional treatment or favours from them. Like Jesus, I find ways to serve, than to be served.

Beloved, do you do nice things for people or you rather want to receive nice things? Well, if the latter is the case then you are a selfish person. Philippians 2:3 says “do nothing out of SELFISH ambition...” The fact that you must be ambitious about your dreams and visions in life does not mean you must execute it to the detriment of others.

Never also use people as ladders to climb up and leave them down. Sometimes, selfishness may successfully launch you into your destiny, or get you what you want but will bring alongside many unbearable consequences.

Let other people matter. Be the person who have others at heart, treating them well, than putting onerous demands on them. This is the best way to avoid being selfish.

It shouldn’t be an issue of “me, myself and I”.

Remember, when it is always about you, you are simply selfish.

Read: Matthew 7:1 “So then, in everything treat others the same way you want them to treat you, for this is [the essence of] the Law and the [writings of the] Prophets.”