Selfishness

Have you ever wondered if selfishness can be a good thing? The truth is, we are all allowed one moment of selfishness in our lives…but only one.

At the point of turning our lives over to Jesus Christ we are given that opportunity. In fact, the process demands it. We must say “I am a sinner; I need a Lord and Savior; I acknowledge my unworthiness; I believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins and I accept this free gift God has so graciously offered me.” This act of acceptance not only is—but must be—an act of selfishness. At that very moment it’s “all about me”. Not wanting eternal separation from God and wanting all the riches He promises is a God-given selfishness. That’s just the way it is.

Once that first step has been taken, however, the agenda changes just as much as our lives. From that moment forward we shift from selfishness to becoming Christ-like.

Perhaps many of you remember Newton’s Third Law of Relativity: For every action there is an equal, and opposite, reaction. This couldn’t be better exampled than with the salvation process. Just as much as we needed to be selfish in order to accept the gift of salvation, Jesus Christ was just as much selfless in order to provide that salvation.

The first step, as designed by God, is a selfish one. The second, third, fourth…every step we take thereafter until the end of our days should now be filled with new goals in mind: selflessness, love and compassion.

Now…allow someone else the chance to take that one moment of selfishness. Help lead them into the wonderful world of “living by God’s design” by guiding them through this process. God expects that from us just as we should expect that from ourselves.

Greg Morton
© December 8, 2008