Bible Study 

Am I Selfless? 

“For the love of Christ controls us…”  2 Cor. 5:14 

He was a pastor and quite well known in church circles. Not only within church circles but as of the past two years, after publication of his book, his name was seen across the internet in opinion pieces, essays, and talk-show interviews. His fame was growing as was his church. He was indeed a powerful man of God. Or so it seemed. 

In the inner circles of his church and his book publication team he was more controlling and demeaning. His icy looks, his stern “suggested” paths to take or friends to keep were becoming legend. And for those of the most inner circle, family and pastoral associates, his control was even more infamous. During a meeting in his office with an elder he told him that his friend, who seemed to be taking too much of his time away from the church, was not to be seen again! The elder walked away heart-broken and confused. 

And what of us? Are we leaving our lives in the hands of God or are we “helping” Him? Do you find yourself suggesting who people should see or what they should do? Have you taken time to pray and ask God before sharing your opinion or do you prefer those spontaneous words from the Lord? 

Are we handymen, looking for projects to fix or are we focused on being a new creation, formed in the image of Jesus, looking for people to love and serve? 

C.S. Lewis: “Give up yourself, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it. Submit to the death of your ambitions and your favorite wishes every day, and the death of your whole body in the end, submit with every fiber of your being, and you will find eternal life. Keep back nothing. Nothing that you have not given away will ever be really yours. Nothing in you that has not died will ever be raised from the dead. Look out for yourself and you will find, in the long run, only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ, and you will find Him, and with Him, everything else thrown in.” ~Mere Christianity

Galatians 2:20-21  “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.” 

Matthew 20:25-28  “But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 

Colossians 3:12-15  “God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So always do these things: Show mercy to others; be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. Do not be angry with each other, but forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you, then forgive him. Forgive each other because the Lord forgave you. Do all these things; but most important, love each other. Love is what holds you all together in perfect unity. Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking. You were all called together in one body to have peace. Always be thankful.” 

If Jesus Himself came to be a servant, how can we possibly ignore the same mindset? Don’t be like the world, He reminds us, be like Me!