Unselfishness, Part 2

"And he answered them, "Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise." Luke 3:11, ESV

Note that in the story above, we are commanded to give to our neighbor out of our abundance, not in spite of our lack. Jesus did not tell us that, if we see someone lacking, we should provide for them despite how much it might hurt us. Having said that, it is also worth noting that, if we do come across someone who has a need that we can not meet, we need to do our best to use our resources and help them in fulfilling that need, not just ignore them and leave them to fend for themselves.

To keep the balance, it would be wise to talk about the concept of welfare. I understand that there are some individuals that genuinely need the welfare system because they can not provide for themselves. However, more and more people are taking advantage of the welfare system without any real need. They are living lazy lives and hurting those who truly need the system to survive. In part, that is the system's fault. The church is not to be a welfare system. The church is here to help those in genuine need, not the lazy.

"...If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living." 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12, ESV

I like the term unselfishness better than selflessness. It seems to imply this balance between the needs of others and the needs of self.

I want to challenge you today to look at your heart and identify those areas that are out of balance when it comes to selfishness or selflessness. Ask Him to teach you the right balance as you continue to draw closer to him in your daily walk.

Additional Scriptures: James 4:2-4, Proverbs 30:8-9

Unselfishness, Part 1

Once you have established your goals and priorities, it is important to inspect your attitude towards each of these areas of life. This is where the goals start coming into place. Over the next few posts we will be looking at how our goals help us in shaping and directing our growth and lives.

Before we do that, however, it is important to look at another aspect that is critical in balancing our lives. In many different places in scriptures we are admonish to focus on others rather than on ourselves. Selflessness has been stressed as a principal trait of the Christian's character. However, out of balance selflessness can become very destructive and dangerous.

On one hand, we are called to provide for our neighbors in need. We are challenged by stories such as the poor widow that shared her last meal with the prophet Elijah (1 King 17:8-16), or the rich young ruler to whom Jesus told that, in order to enter into His Kingdom, he needed to give away all his possessions and follow him (Mark 10:21). On the other hand, we are told that we need to be good stewards of what we are given, including our bodies, finances, and health.

There is a balance between focusing on others and focusing on self, and it all pivots on the attitudes of our hearts. If we focus too much on others, we will neglect the duties to our families and ourselves. If we focus too much on ourselves, we will become selfish and self-centered. Neither extreme shows the balance that we have been studying about so far.

We will continue discussing the balance between the needs of others and our own tomorrow.