Self: Self-Centered

Self: Self-Centered For His Glory
How oft have you sought some reward for a task you said was "for the Lord?" How oft have you felt a stinging slight and felt that you were not treated right? How oft have you said "I quit, I am through. Nobody says 'thanks'for the things I do."
How oft have you felt the precious thrill that comes from just being in His will? How oft did you count earth's glory dim compared to the joy of serving Him? What is it your heart has longed for? Does praise of men or His smile mean more?

Too Much and Too Little
Riches can be a handicap. A wealthy woman told her doctor she was frustrated by a restless desire for more and more things. He replied, "These are the usual symptoms of too much ease in the home and too little gratitude in the heart." The Gospel According to the Little Red Hen
Remember the story of the Little Red Hen? Here is a church equivalent!
Once upon a time there was a church. One day the Lord found a lost and dying world, enslaved in sin and destined for hell.
"Who will share the gospel with those who know not the way of life eternal?" said He.
"Not I," said the elder.
"Not I," said the deacon.
"Not I," said the Sunday School worker.
"Not I," said the choir member.
"Not I," said the member.
"Very well, then," said the Lord. "I will find someone else." And He did!
After some time the gospel seed sprouted and grew. "Who will teach these young in faith the way of righteousness and truth?" asked the Lord.
"Not I," said the elder. "I have other things to do."
"Not I," said the deacon. "That is not my job."
"Not I," said the choir member. "I do not like the deacon."
"Not I," said the member. "Let the Sunday school worker do it."
"Very well, then," said the Lord. "I will find someone else to teach my Word." And He did!
"Now," said the Lord, "the church has children and teenagers. Who will shepherd and direct them in My ways?"
"Not I," said the elder. "That is not my job."
"Not I," said the deacon. "I do not like the choir member."
"Not I," said the Sunday school worker. "I have other things to do."
"Very well, then," said the Lord. "I will find another." And He did!
Again the Lord said, "The meeting house needs some work. Who will help clean it, mend its roof, paint its walls so that it may bring honor to my name and joy to those who gather there?"
"Not I," said the deacon. "I have other things to do."
"Not I," said the Sunday School worker. "That is not my job."
"Not I," said the member. "Let the deacon do it."
"Very well," said the Lord. "I will find someone else." And He did!
Later the Lord said, "Some of my children are in need. Who will share what is theirs so that others may have?"
"Not I," said the elder. "Let the deacon do it."
"Not I," said the deacon. "Let the Sunday school worker do it."
"Not I," said the Sunday school worker. "Let the choir member do it."
"Not I," said the choir member. "Let the member do it."
"Not I," said the member. "Let the elder do it."
"Very well, then," said the Lord. "I will find someone else." And He did!
Eventually, after the gospel was preached, the weak taught, the young guided, the meeting house repaired, and those in need helped, the Lord said, "Who will share in the joys of Christian service? Who will come taste the blessings of faithfulness? Who will know the fruit of spiritual growth?"
"I will!" said the elder.
"I will!" said the deacon.
"I will!" said the Sunday school worker.
"I will!" said the choir member.
"I will!" said the member.
"No, you will not," replied the Lord. "My rewards will go to those who do My will, not their own." The Snail in the Lobster Shell
A little snail that lived by the ocean noticed with envy the big and beautiful shell in which the lobster lived.
"Oh! How this little shell of mine pinches," whined the little snail. "What a grand palace the lobster carries on his back! I wish I lived in his place. Oh! Wouldn't my friends admire me in that shell! Think of a snail living in a mansion like that!"
In time a wonderful thing occurred. The watching, envious snail beheld the lobster work right out of his shell to grow up in another, larger one. When the empty, metallic green shell of the lobster lay neglected on the beach, the snail said, "Now I shall have my wish. Hurrah! The little snail is going to live in a lobster shell!"
In his pride he cried out to the birds overhead, "Ah, the little snail is going to live in a lobster shell."
He cried to the cattle in the field, "Oh, oh! Now you shall see. The little snail is going to live in a palace."
So the birds and the cattle in the field were curious and they watched the little snail. The snail pulled himself loose from his own little shell, and cried, "Well, I'm glad to say I'm through with you. Goodbye. You've pinched me and pressed me for the last time. I am going to live in the grand lobster shell."
The birds and the animals saw the little snail proudly crawl into the towering lobster shell and he huffed and puffed and blew and gasped in an effort to make himself fit. But with all his efforts he felt very small inside the grand lobster shell. He grew tired, too. That night he died because the great empty shell was so cold.
A wise old crow then said, "You see! That's what comes of envy. What you have is enough. Be yourself and save yourself from a lot of trouble. How much better to be a little snail in a comfortable shell than to be a little snail in a big shell and freeze to death!" The First and Hardest Lesson
"All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten," says Robert Fulgham's popular essay and book. In truth, one of life's most important and hardest lessons comes to us long before kindergarten.
This lesson is painful and upsetting to learn, and it goes against what we want to think is true. But it is vital that we learn it.
Many people never do.
The lesson is this: you are not the center of your universe.
You might as well face it.
Once, a long time ago, Nicolaus Copernicus studied the sky and declared, "If man is to know the truth, he must change his thinking! Despite what we have said for years, our earth is not the center of the cosmos-but just one celestial body among many. The sun does not move around us; we move around the sun."
That was a radical adjustment-a revolution in thought.
Years later, Jean Piaget studied children and declared, "Each child must experience his or her own 'Copernican revolution.'They must learn that they are not the center of their world."
This is a private, radical adjustment for every one. "After all," each infant thinks, "My wants have always been met. Let life continue that way!"
"Walls should move out of the way before I run into them. The floor should become soft just as I fall. Everyone should give me their toys if I want them. The rules of games should change so I can always win. And big things like cars should never drive where I might want to run or play."
Sooner or later, life does not cooperate and the child is shocked.
What about us adults? Have we learned the lesson?
Most of us learn it. But Satan urges us to put ourselves back in the center. And we often do, even when we know better.
Jesus Christ studied His audience and declared, "If you want to enter the kingdom of heaven, you must change your thinking! Despite what your sinful nature tells you, you are not the center of your world. To find life, you must know the truth. Accommodate yourself to that; it will set you free!"
That is the most radical adjustment of all. A hard lesson.
The illusion is easier. It justifies selfishness. And we all like being selfish.
Too bad that the selfish way is not true.
Too bad that it does not bring satisfaction or life.
A hard lesson. But an important one. Life goes much better once you have got it.

How Important Are You-to You?
Near Lincoln, Kansas, stands a group of gravestones that boggles the imagination. A farmer named David, a self-made and determined man, managed to amass a considerable fortune, but had few friends and no relatives for whom he cared.
When his wife died, David erected an elaborate statue showing both her and himself sitting at the opposite ends of a loveseat. So pleased was he with this monument that he commissioned the sculptor to create another, this time showing him kneeling at her grave with a wreath in his hand. And that made such a fine impression upon him that he set out to erect still another tombstone depicting his wife kneeling at his future graveside with a wreath. He even put wings on her back as she now resided in another world. So, as time passed and one idea led to another, he eventually spent over a quarter of a million dollars on monuments to his wife and himself.
David had no interest in aiding his fellowmen or benefiting his nearby town. Nor did he become a blessing to the church, for he used all of his resources on shrines to self. He died at the age of 92, a resident of the poorhouse, and his cherished stones are slowly but surely sinking into the Kansas soil, victimized by vandalism and neglect, weathered by time.

Nine Great Ideas: All Mine!
My idea of visitation: everybody come to see me.
My idea of sympathy: everybody suffering with me.
My idea of a sinner: the man for whom I have a great dislike.
My idea of a meek man: the man who yields to me.
My idea of a contentious man: the man who takes issue with me.
My idea of a wise man: the man who listens to me.
My idea of unity: everybody agreeing with me.
My idea of cooperation: everybody working with me.
My idea of a good sermon: one that fits and hits everybody but me.

How to Be Miserable in 20 Easy Steps!
Use "I" as often as possible.
Always be sensitive to slights.
Be jealous and envious.
Think only about yourself.
Talk only about yourself.
Trust no one.
Never forget a criticism.
Always expect to be appreciated.
Be suspicious.
Listen greedily to what others say about you.
Look for faults in others.
Shirk your duties if you can.
Do as little as possible for others.
Never forget a service you may have rendered.
Sulk if people are not grateful for your favors.
Insist on consideration and respect.
Demand agreement with your own views on everything.
Always look for a good time.
Love yourself first.
Be selfish at all times! Of Lice and Men
Human beings have a huge capacity for self-delusion. The Scottish poet, Robert Burns, wrote a famous poem about this entitled "To A Louse (On Seeing One On A Lady's Bonnet at Church)." In the poem he pictures a woman, strutting to church decked out in frills and finery, convinced that she is cutting a grand figure. But the sophisticated image she aims for is spoiled by a pesky louse crawling through the lace of her bonnet! The poem closes with some memorable lines (somewhat translated):
"O, that some Power the gift would give us
To see ourselves as others see us!"
What could we need more? The Bible urges: "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment" (Romans 12:3 NIV).
In order to see ourselves realistically we must "In humility receive the implanted word...." (James 1:21). Then we must use that word as a mirror in order to see our true spiritual condition and change what needs changing (James 1:23-25).
True Christianity means:
SERVE, even when we are not being served.
LOVE, even when we may not be loved.
HELP, even when we have not been helped.
GIVE, even when we have not received.
PLEASE, even if others do not please us.

Simpson's Folly
Many years ago a man named Simpson built a house on the Canford Cliffs, near Bournemouth, England. Friends and neighbors tried to warn him he had chosen a site too near the edge of the cliff, that landslides frequently occurred along the coast, and the very weight of the house would precipitate such a catastrophe. But Mr. Simpson wouldn't listen. He built a very beautiful house there and for a time all went well. Then the inevitable happened, and the ominous warnings all came true. All that remains of his house is a heap of ruins on the beach known as "Simpson's Folly."

Rights-Ours and Others
A young lawyer negotiated a contract of which he was rather proud and took it to an old and wise counselor for his examination. To his surprise the old man, as he read it slowly, shook his head. "That is a great contract, John. It is most skillfully drawn," he remarked as he handed it back. "But, John, you have forgotten the other fellow. No contract is sound which neglects the rights or the equities of any party to it." We are not righteous if we think only of our own rights and neglect the rights of others. No Responsibility
A young man applying for a job as usher in a theater was asked by the owner, "In case of fire, what would you do?" "Oh, don't be concerned about me," was the reply. "I'd be able to escape immediately." He did not even think of his responsibility toward others. Of course, he didn't get the job.

Preoccupation with Self
Someone remarked to the director of a mental institution, "I imagine all the people in here are 'beside' themselves." "No, you're wrong," the doctor replied. "They're shut in here, not because they're 'beside' themselves, but because they're 'inside' themselves. They think of nothing else but self." When preoccupation with self becomes your problem, you become a problem for the world and to God Himself. The Peacock Syndrome
A rich man decided to take up fishing. He bought the most expensive equipment and bait, but he caught nothing. He passed by a farmboy who had an old stick and a rusty hook but had caught a big string of fish. "How did you manage to catch so many, when I couldn't catch a single one?" he asked. "Oh," said the boy, "I try to keep out of sight so the fish won't see me. Perhaps you show yourself too much." The Way of the World
The fable of the fox and the wolf aptly illustrates the way of the world that the Christian is to avoid. It seems a fox was peering into a well from which people drew water by lowering an empty bucket, and pulling up the full one that was at the bottom. By accident the fox fell into the empty bucket and found itself at the bottom of the well. It made a lot of noise trying to get out. A wolf, hearing the noise, looked down and said to the fox, "What are you doing, my friend?" "I'm catching fish," was the sly answer; "Come down to help me." "How can I?" asked the wolf. "Jump into that bucket up there and you'll be down here in a moment." The foolish wolf obeyed, and because it was heavier than the fox it went down and the fox came up and started to run away. "Are you leaving me down here?" cried the wolf. But the fox answered slyly, "That's the way of the world, my friend; when one goes up, the other goes down."

Share Your Blessings
In her travels, a lady experienced some cold weather. As she was shivering she turned to her servant to remind her to send some warm blankets to the poor people when they got home. She arrived at her luxurious warm home, took off her furs, and over a cup of tea made herself comfortable. Later, when her servant reminded her of the promised blankets, her reply was, "Ah, yes, I remember; but it's nice and warm now."