A little while ago I was watching one of my favorite Christian channels and something they brought up caught my attention. The video was centered around selfishness and how we relate to it. In fact, they brought up that selfishness brings about sin. Which, when you think about it, makes sense. Let me explain.

Selfishness is all about putting one’s own needs before someone elses. In other words, putting your wants, desires and needs before others. For instance, you may be a newly married couple, struggling financially the wife looking for work but then the husband decides to go and buy a brand new car without taking into consideration his wife’s feelings regarding this matter or their budget. That’s selfishness!

And when you think about it, selfishness really is at the heart of sin. Because if I put my wants, desires and needs first before anyone else it makes me a selfish person. Just as adultery, lying, murder, stealing and so many other sins we’re warned of in the Bible. And remember what the Apostle Simon Peter said;

But understand this: In the last days, terrible times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these! 2 Peter 3:1-5

Can you see it?

Lovers of Themselves – selfishness, because it’s all about the self.

Lovers of Money – selfishness, because one will cheat, steal or trample on others to get to the top OR they will keep the money for themselves instead of sharing it with the family.

Boastful – selfishness because they brag on themselves making it about what they own, who they know or the importance of their work.

Arrogant – Selfishness, because these individuals feel superior to others and tend to exaggerate their own self worth or importance.

By now, I’m sure you can see exactly where I’m going with this.

Jesus, the Son of God, born in the flesh and raised on the 3rd day, was SELFLESS when He was sacrificed on the cross for our sin. Not only was Jesus SELFLESS, He was humble, compassionate, faithful, merciful, loving, forgiving, kind, gentle, good, patient, non-judgemental, and full of self-control.

Sound familiar?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22

The fruit of the Spirit is the total opposite of selfishness. And if you take the time to look around our communities or social media today you can’t help but notice just how selfish many are turning out to be. Oh, and don’t forget;

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. Philippians 2:32

No doubt we’re living in the end times…