Selfishness in Christian preaching highlights the sin of putting one's own desires above the needs of others, leading to discord and injustice. Illustrations often depict greed or unfair division, emphasizing the call to love and serve selflessly as taught in Philippians 2:3-4 and Acts 20:35.
Selfishness causes unfairness and conflict, illustrated by a story of dividing spoils.
A white man and an Indian, returning from a hunt, had a fine turkey and a carrion-buzzard to divide between them. Said the white man, "I will take the turkey, and you shall take the buzzard; or else you may take the buzzard, and I will take the turkey." — "Ah!" said the Indian, "you no say turkey for poor me once."
Selfishness is shown by a child greedily taking the largest apple from a shared plate.
A plate of apples was being passed to some children, when a little girl took a fine red one. Her next neighbor cried, "How greedy you are to take the largest! I meant to take that myself."
Boorishness stems from selfishness, shown by a groom's inconsiderate behavior at his wedding.
Boorishness is a product of selfishness far more than a product of ignorance; or at least a product of that ignorance which is in itself a product of selfishness. I was once at a wedding breakfast in a rural community in the West. The groom ate in silence the food that was set before him, dispatched his meal before the rest of us were more than half through, pushed back his plate, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and turning to his bride, said, “Well, Sally, you may as well get used to my way at the beginning, and I always leave the table when I have got through with my meal!” With these words he went out to pick his teeth on the door-steps, leaving his bride with a flushed face and a pained heart, the object of our commiseration. The man was a boor, you say. True! What made him a boor? The fact that he selfishly thought of his own comfort. It never entered his head to inquire whether his conduct would be agreeable or painful to his bride.--LYMAN ABBOTT, _The Chautauquan_.
Egoism leads people to ignore wrongdoing if it does not personally affect them.
It is Nietzsche’s philosophy that each man should care only for himself. This philosophy is applied in the following incident. Many still apply it in their social conduct:
It was no very unusual sight in China, to see a thief running for all he was worth, pursued by two or three vociferating men or lads. But the crowd always made way for the thief, and never a foot nor a hand was put out to stop him, “He did not rob me; why should I stop him?” (Text.)
Egotism is like a bird constantly calling 'Me! Me! Me!', showing self-centeredness.
Miss Gordon Cumming tells how she heard in Japan a bird which seemed to have for its sole note, “Me! Me! Me!” She and her party called it “the me-bird.”
There are numerous “me birds” that belong to the human family. They might also be called “ay, ay birds.”
Egotism can produce beauty inwardly but ugliness in relation to others.
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In Delhi once stood a temple whose ceiling was set with diamonds, and beneath which stood the throne of the divine peacock. The jewels in this temple were worth $30,000,000. On the marble pedestal of the throne, in Arabic, were these words, “If ever there were paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here.” But the facts are that this temple was built by poor slaves, many of whom died of starvation and cruelty while in the act of building it. This temple represents intensity without breadth. Treasures and education have been concentrated to produce an awful kind of egotism. Men and women have been known to be sublimely beautiful within themselves, but in relation to others ugly, hollow, and deformed, their narrowness grating rudely on the finer sensibilities. (Text.)--VYRNWY MORGAN, “The Cambro-American Pulpit.”
Acts that appear generous may be motivated by selfishness and cunning, not true kindness.
There is much that passes muster as acts of generosity which, if spiritually analyzed, would be found to be merely selfish policy, like that exercised by the spider:
The moment an ill-starred fly or other insect comes in contact with the net of the spider, it is sprung upon with the rapidity of lightning, and if the captured insect be of small size the spider conveys it at once to the place of slaughter, and having at its leisure sucked all its juice, throws out the carcass. If the insect be large and struggles to escape, the spider envelops its prey in a mesh of thread, and its legs and wings secured, it is conveyed to its den and devoured. But when a bee or large fly, too powerful to be mastered by the spider, gets entangled in its toils, then the wary animal, conscious of its incapacity to contend with such fearful odds, makes no attempt to seize or embarrass the victim. On the contrary, it assists the entangled captive in its efforts to free itself, and often goes so far as to break that part of the web from which it is suspended. This act has upon it the color of generosity, but it is really nothing more than the performance of selfish cunning. The tyrant, feeling himself incapable of doing an injury, determines to have no molestation. To this end he performs an act of manumission.
A child's misunderstanding reveals selfishness as valuing receiving over giving in church.
The boy in this anecdote had apparently not been taught that it is better to give than to receive:
“Well, Bobby, how do you like church?” asked his father, as they walked homeward from the sanctuary, to which Bobby had just paid his first visit.
“It’s fine!” ejaculated the young man. “How much did you get, father?”
“How much did I get? Why, what do you mean? How much what?” asked the astonished parent at this evident irreverence.
“Why, don’t you remember when the funny old man passed the money around? I only got ten cents.” (Text.)--_Lippincott’s Magazine._
Selfishness leads to betrayal, denial, and ruin despite initial good character.
Said Romola to Tito’s child, after calamity had overtaken him:
There was a man to whom I was very near, so that I could see a great deal of his life, who made almost every one fond of him, for he was young and clever and beautiful and his manners to all were gentle and kind. I believe, when I first met him, he never thought of anything cruel or base. But because he tried to slip away from everything that was unpleasant, and cared for nothing else so much as his own safety, he came at last to commit some of the basest deeds--such as make men infamous. He denied his father and left him to misery; he betrayed every trust that was reposed in him, that he might keep himself safe and get rich and prosperous.
That is the history of a man given over to his own selfishness.
A man refuses help to avoid losing selfish habits, even at risk of death.
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The Moslem mollah is notoriously reluctant to give anything away. A mollah had fallen into a large pool of water and was struggling for his life to reach the bank. “Give me your hand, oh my lord, and I will pull you out,” said a passer-by who had responded to the lusty cries for help. “No, indeed,” replied the mollah; “I have never yet given anything to any one, and I certainly will not begin now.” Not liking to leave the drowning man, his would-be rescuer, responding to a bright idea that occurred to him, said, “Will you take my hand, then, oh my lord?” “Gladly,” answered the mollah, and allowed himself to be drawn out of the pool, saving his life without losing his innate selfishness.
Unselfishness leads to blessing and protection, selfishness to stagnation and harm.
There was a stream gliding blithely and care free down a mountain-side in its course to the ocean. On the way it passed a stagnant pool, which asked whither it was going. The stream answered that it went to contribute its cup of water to the vast ocean. “Wait!” said the pool. “Why give up all your substance to the ocean, which has no need of it? Follow my example, and hold on tight to what you have. Soon the hot season will be around and the glaring sun will shrivel you up.” But the stream’s unselfishness forbade such a course, and it flowed merrily onward, while the pool gathered itself more closely together and settled down in its position of selfish ease and comfort. Presently the hot season came, and the sun scorched everything beneath its blazing heat. But the little stream flowed securely beneath an archway of overhanging trees, the leaves and branches of which made it immune from dangers and obstructions. And the sun peeped through the leaves and smiled upon it, saying that it could not harm such an unoffending thing. And the birds came to sip of its refreshing waters, while the sweet flowers bloomed along its side. The farmer in the field looked kindly upon it, the cows came to drink of it, and the stream pursued its way happily, blessing everything and being blest. But not so with the pool. The sun glared down on it, drying it up and making it repugnant and stagnant. And the breezes, kissing it by mistake, carried the unhealthy stench over the land, introducing malaria wherever it went. Everything shunned and avoided it, and because of its selfishness it was transformed into a murky, vile puddle, reeking with hurtful germs. But the stream emptied its water into the ocean, from which it was borne aloft into the clouds and carried back to the mountain summit whence it came, there to begin again its joyous course.
— S. G. WEISCOTTON
A fare ordinance reveals selfishness and kindness in public transit behavior.
The common council of Trenton, N. J., has passed an ordinance providing that all street-car passengers that can not get a seat need not pay their fares. The reason is, of course, that the company does not provide nearly enough accommodation for the public. Probably there is not a city in the United States where this condition does not exist. The profits of the street-car companies are largely augmented by patient strap-hangers. But, as to Trenton, the effect of this ordinance has been extraordinary.
Passengers that were consumed with ill-nature when they had to stand on a crowded car now let empty cars swish past them and patiently wait on the street corner until a full one comes along, on which they may ride free.
The ordinance has also exterminated the car boor. When a lady steps inside all the men in the car spring to their feet and offer her their seats. The conductor has to refund the fare of the man that loses his seat in this way. The amusing part of the situation, however, is that very often the lady wishes to stand herself, especially if she is economical.
The whole plan smacks of exasperation. The only good point about it is the fact that the council feels that something ought to be done to force a public-service company to serve the public. Some cities have tried the plan of a lower fare for the man that has to stand, which undoubtedly is the better plan.--RIPPLE, _Christian Endeavor World_.
Selfishness is exposed through a sarcastic reply to an unreasonable advertisement.
A hard bargainer sent the following advertisement to a paper: “A lady in delicate health wishes to meet with a useful companion. She must be domestic, musical, an early riser, amiable, of good appearance, and have some experience in nursing. A total abstainer preferred. Comfortable home. No salary.” A few days afterward the advertiser received by express a basket, labeled, “This side up, with care; perishable.” On opening it, she found a tabby cat with a letter tied to its tail. It ran thus:
“Madam, in response to your advertisement, I am happy to furnish you with a very useful companion, which you will find exactly suited to your requirements. She is domestic, a good vocalist, an early riser, possesses an amiable disposition, and is considered handsome. She has had great experience as a nurse, having brought up a large family. I need scarcely add that she is a total abstainer. As salary is no object to her, she will serve you faithfully in return for a comfortable home.” (Text.)
Wealth can smother sympathy and exalt selfishness, posing spiritual dangers.
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The danger of wealth lies in its tendency to smother sympathy and exalt selfishness.
Dr. W. B. Wright says that Henry Heine, the Jew, one of the most sparkling talkers in Europe, sat silent at a banquet until his Christian hostess asked, with some anxiety, “Why are you so dumb?” He answered, “I am studying a problem which I can not solve. I have been looking at these gold dishes, this fine linen, these splendid waiters, your great diamonds, and wondering what you Christians are going to do with the camel question.” (Text.)
Richard Foster, in "Celebration of Discipline," describes the characteristics of service that is focused more on the self and service that is focused more upon Christ:
Self-focused service is:
1. Concerned with impressive gains.
2. Requires external reward, appreciation, and applause.
3. Highly concerned about results.
4. Affected by feelings.
5. Insists on meeting the need; it demands the opportunity to help.
Christ-focused service is:
1. Doesn't distinguish between small and large.
2. Content in hiddenness. God's approval is sufficient.
3. Free of the need to calculate results. It delights only in service.
4. Ministers simply and faithfully because there is a need. The service
disciplines the feelings.
5. Listens with tenderness and patience. It can serve by waiting in
silence.
We can even feel selfish at Christmas. A Vietnamese family they were sponsoring had sick child on Christmas Eve. Paul resented going, but he went. The mother was very grateful and the celebration went off OK anyway. Paul realized Christ was crying out to him in that little child. Jesus is present in the needs of people we serve (Matt 25). The Vietnamese people later gave them a joyous banquet.
Is serving the poor a calling?
1. Everyone is called to serve.
2. God will make clear to you how to serve.
3. God will give you joy as you serve.
"Someone has wisely said that the place where God calls us is that place where our great gladness and the world's great need come together."
Human needs take a variety of forms.
Author gets another phone call from AIDS patient; he feels resentment but ministers to him. Patient is scared and lonely. Author struggles but knows he should be like Jesus. On his own he incapable of loving like Jesus, but God can help him. Books and sermons cannot.
#554
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DEAR ABBY: I heard about teen-age rebellion, but I never experienced it until suddenly Joe, seventeen, and Betsy, fifteen, let me know they were old enough to do as they pleased. Life became one constant battle about hair, clothes, late hours, and poor grades. Taking away privileges and cutting allowances didn't faze them. After I was told for the fiftieth time that they were old enough to do as they pleased, I saw the light.
I told them that by their reasoning I was also “old enough to do as I pleased.” Then I sat down with a book, put my feet up, and relaxed. When they asked when dinner would be ready, I told them that whenever it pleased them they could make their own dinner. I then made myself a salad and a hamburger and continued to read my book, ignoring them.
For five days I never cooked, cleaned, washed nor ironed for them. Only for myself. When they asked what was wrong with me, I told them I was “old enough to do as I pleased, too,” and it pleased me to think of no one but myself.
They finally got the point. Life is now restored to normal, and now we all live by the rules in this house. This may not work for everyone but it worked for me.
________
Source: Weekend Encounter, by Dick Innes, Copyright (c) ACTS International, 2004, http://www.actsweb.org
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If you really want to see what people are like, you have to put them in extreme situations. Such a situation occurred during World War II. As the Japanese conquered country after country in Asia, hundreds of foreign missionaries and businessmen were captured, along with their families. Many of them were Americans.
All of these civilians were herded into concentration camps, mostly in China. One of them was a little boy named David Storey. Today he is the pastor of the Burt Ave. Wesleyan Church in Coshocton, Ohio. Another prisoner was Eric Liddell, the Christian athlete the movie "Chariots of Fire" was based on.
In these concentration camps the civilians were not tortured or killed. But they never knew what was going to happen to them. Living space, food and security were all in short supply.
Since many of these civilians were Christians, how did they measure up? Some of the evidence is pretty discouraging.
As more people were crammed into the camp, families were asked to give up the extra rooms in their living quarters. In this way the others would have a place to live. Nobody disagreed with this - as long as their rooms weren't taken away.
One missionary offered this excuse: He said the other missionaries often asked him to preach in the camp's church services. Then he said, "It is for their sakes, and for that of the camp as a whole, that my family needs a little extra space. This way I can have quiet to think out these sermons."
This sounds very religious. But actually, he's just being selfish. The non-Christians were equally selfish, but believers had an advantage - they could wrap their selfishness in God's will.
The missionary's excuse was not an isolated incident. Many of the most devout Christians ended up cheating, lying and groveling to get their daily necessities. If they were new Creatures in Christ, the others weren't impressed.
[Compare the 1997 movie "Paradise Road," about female civilians in a Malaysian POW camp.]
What do taxes and religion have in common? Both require that we pay attention to the larger good. Authentic religious faith takes us out of ourselves to find that we belong to the whole human family. If your "family" is only as big as your spouse, your children, if any, your parents and a few other relatives, then I suggest your practical faith is quite shallow. If your "family" extends to some close friends, some "adopted" others, then your faith is a little deeper.... If your "family" extends to people who are different from you, different skin colors, different cultures, different sexual orientation, who worship differently, and even people you haven't been lucky enough to know yet, your faith is getting deeper.
If your "family" extends to all people of the earth, indeed all life forms, then your faith is moving toward a God's eye view of family. Then all children are our children. All elders are our elders. All suffering people
are our suffering.
When our family is that inclusive, and our faith is that profound, we see taxes in a very different way. Instead of seeing taxes as a burden, we would see them as a way of helping our brothers and sisters when they need us. The current frenzy to cut taxes, defeat school budgets and shrink government tells me many of us have lost our sense of ourselves as part of the larger family.
I think of taxes as tithing. It is one way that those of us who are fortunate to have more can help those who have less. Through our taxes we can pay for things good for all of us, that none of us could pay for by ourselves. Cutting taxes left and right hurts most those members of the human family who are least able to defend themselves. Notice how difficult it is to cut taxes for programs which benefit middle-class Americans, versus how easy it is to cut those which benefit poor children.
Dare I suggest that deeply religious people would gladly pay more taxes if it meant that our children - all our children - would suffer less?
________
Rev. Paul Ratzlaff is minister of the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship.
Cuba’s dictator Fidel Castro loved to talk. He gave a speech before the United Nations that lasted 4 hours, and one in Cuba that went on for 7 hours and 10 minutes.[1]
Radio personality Tavis Smiley visited Cuba in 1998 and had an impromptu interview with Castro. Smiley said it went on for hours and he only got about six questions in. Castro never seemed to come up for air. When Smiley tried to interrupt him, Castro wagged his finger at him and kept on talking.[2]
Probably only you love your own voice. Let others share their words, too. Listening well is one of the greatest talents of a good communicator.
“Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.”
“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.”
________
1. “Longest Speeches in History,” by “etriplett,” no date;
2. “The Time I Stood Up to Fidel Castro,” by Tavis Smiley, Time magazine, Nov 28, 2016;
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Sunday School is suffering due to "me-first" attitudes of our society.
Attendance is falling. Traces the history of the Sunday School and its
potential for evangelism today.
#1282
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In its January 25, 1988, issue, Time provided an insight on selfishness and its corollary, sharing. Speaking about the introduction of the video-cassette recorder, the article said, “The company had made a crucial mistake. While at first Sony kept its Beta technology mostly to itself, JVC, the Japanese inventor of the VHS {format}, shared its secret with a raft of other firms. As a result, the market was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the VHS machines being produced.”
This drastically undercut Sony’s market share. The first year, Sony lost 40 percent of the market, and by 1987 it controlled only 10 percent. So now Sony has jumped on the VHS bandwagon. While it still continues to make Beta-format VCR’s, Sony’s switch to VHS, according to Time, will likely send Beta machines to “the consumer graveyard.” Even in a cut-throat business, sharing has its rewards.
#1823
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”In Other Words,” a publication of the Wycliffe Bible Translators, recently told a story about Sadie Sieker, who served for many years as a houseparent for missionaries’ children in the Philippines.
Sadie loved books, though she gladly loaned out some, others she treasured in a footlocker under her bed. Once, in the quiet of the night, Sadie heard a faint gnawing sound. After searching all around her room, she discovered that the noise was coming from her footlocker. When she opened it, she found nothing but an enormous pile of dust. All the books she had kept to herself had been lost to termites.
What we give away, we keep. What we hoard, we lose.
An expert on church affairs, named Jon Johnston, has written this;
"The church has become a supermarket dispensing spiritual junk food to passers-by. The pastor's sermon is little more than the "special of the week," offered to customers at a minimum of commitment."
The church has catered to "Meism" by giving people what they want instead of what they need.
#2216
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How to become a forgiver:
WHY DON'T WE FORGIVE?
=====================
1. We are selfish and mean.
2. We forgave him before and he didn't change.
3. We aren't filled with the Holy Spirit.
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN FORGIVENESS?
================================
1. Forgetting.
2. Restoring.
3. Confronting.
4. Loving.
"Outland" cartoon has Opus the penguin, Bill the cat and the Cockroach sitting in a swamp. Oliver Jones, a brainy twerp, is rowing up to them in a small boat.
Oliver: "I've spent all week on the calculations. There'z no mistakes!
GALILEO WAS WRONG!!
The world ... revolves around ME."
(He flings the research papers to the winds, and rows off.)
Opus, calling out to the retreating figure: "Boy, are YOU ever wrong!"
(Each one is sitting in the swamp, concluding:)
Opus: "It goes around ME!!"
Bill the cat: "Me!"
Cockroach: "Me, Me, MEEEEE!"
Are you honoring your wife with your time?
At a Promise Keepers' rally last summer the preacher gave the men a test. The true value of a man's life, he said, can be seen in his wife's face. One man in the audience winced when he heard that. His name was Bill McCartney, and he is the founder of Promise Keepers.
During a later rally he stood before thousands of men and made a confession. "My wife was in so much pain. I became convicted that I was not doing everything I could to bring my wife to splendor in Jesus Christ." "Once I faced that, the issue became: Is continuing in coaching the best way to do that? For 32 years we had chased Bill McCartney's dreams, not Lyndi's dreams. She was married to a man who was so focused, so driven, so possessed. ... It was like God opened my eyes."
Adding insult to injury, one of football's fiercest competitors had added another obsession to his life -- Promise Keepers. This nondenominational movement for men had grown from 4,200 in 1991 to 700,000 in 1995. 1996 will have three times as many rallies.
Just what McCartney's family needed: a showdown with God and the gridiron. Lyndi McCartney described one moment: "I told him I needed to be on his calendar, so he began penciling me in. But then I got erased a couple of times. So I went back and told him I wanted to be written in ink -- `It's ink or nothing,' I said."
The coach listened, concluding that he had been sinfully selfish -- a taker, not a giver. As the 1994 regular season ended, he took advantage of a exit clause in his 15-year contract and quit.
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Internet version:
Bill McCartney answers his own Promise Keepers altar call.
As the Promise Keepers band soared into the anthem "Godly Men," Bill McCartney stood and lifted his hands high in praise to God.
"Lord help us turn from sin and begin again, as godly men," sang the former University of Colorado football coach, along with 52,000 men who last weekend filled RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. "Though we know we sometimes stumble, may the promise that we keep, be to honor you with all our hearts and to worship at your feet."
Spotting the coach perched near the press box, many men rose, raised their hands and sang with new vigor. The warm-ups were over and another two-day Promise Keepers marathon had begun. It would be 12 more hours of preaching, cheering, singing and praying before McCartney took to the pulpit to urge them to repent, be faithful to their wives, serve their families, support their brothers and stop worshiping their careers.
But this sermon had a twist. Five years after his first vision of men packing stadiums, McCartney explained how this message finally cut into his heart and left him in the poignant position of needing to heed his own altar call.
The true value of a man's life, he said, can be seen in his wife's face. Last year, this test left McCartney shattered.
"She was in so much pain. ... I became convicted that I was not doing everything I could to bring my wife to splendor in Jesus Christ," he explained during a break in the rally, using one of his typically scripture- soaked metaphors. "Once I faced that the issue became: Is continuing in coaching the best way to do that? ... For 32 years we had chased Bill McCartney's dreams, not Lyndi's dreams. She was married to a man who was so focused, so driven, so possessed. ... It was like God opened my eyes."
Adding insult to injury, one of football's fiercest competitors had added another obsession to his life -- Promise Keepers. This nondenominational movement for men had grown from 4,200 in 1991 to 278,000 in seven 1994 gatherings. Participation doubled every six months during four often chaotic years. The group expects to draw 700,000 to 13 rallies this summer and its leaders are studying 36 possible sites for 1996.
Just what McCartney's family needed: a showdown with God and the gridiron.
Lyndi McCartney rarely speaks to the media. But in a newly revised edition of her husband's autobiography, "From Ashes To Glory," she describes one tense moment: "I told him I needed to be on his calendar, so he began penciling me in. But then I got erased a couple of times. So I went back and told him I wanted to be written in ink -- `It's ink or nothing,' I said."
The coach listened, concluding that he had been sinfully selfish -- a taker, not a giver. As the 1994 regular season ended, he took advantage of a exit clause in his 15-year contract. His last University of Colorado ties end June 30 and, on July 1, he joins the Promise Keepers staff, with the title of "founder."
History is full of fierce, focused and even fanatical religious leaders who light spiritual fires and then fall in flames -- often taking their movements with them. McCartney is trying to back away from the abyss, settling into a life of private prayer and public speaking. The general will try to go on retreat.
"Everyone in (Promise Keepers) is so busy. ... The numbers are expanding so rapidly. Everyone is caught up in a beehive of activity. Somebody has to stop and be quiet before the Lord," he said. "Right now, I'm not worried about whether I'm going to build a building or a movement or anything else. All I can see is what a vile heart I have and how far away from God's will I have been. All I am, right now, is one man who is broken- hearted before God."
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Terry Mattingly teaches communications at Milligan College in Tennessee. He writes this weekly column for the Scripps Howard News Service.
Mother Teresa told this story in an address to the National Prayer Breakfast in 1994: [transposed to third person in sermon]
One evening we went out, and we picked up four people from the street. And one of them was in a most terrible condition. I told the sisters, "You take care of the other three; I will take care of the one who looks worst." So I did for her all that my love could do. I put her in bed, and there was such a beautiful smile on her face. She took hold of my hand as she said two words only: "Thank you." Then she died.
I could not help but examine my conscience before her. And I asked: What would I say if I were in her place? And my answer was very simple. I would have tried to draw a little attention to myself. I would have said, "I am hungry, I am dying, I am in pain," or something. But she gave me much more; she gave me her grateful love. And she died with a smile on her face.
Gratitude brings a smile and becomes a gift.
How to keep your leadership on track.
1. Do I have a good reason to lead?
a. A sense of God's calling.
b. A passion for the purpose.
c. Fitting the role.
d. Confirmation from others.
2. Do I harbor selfish motives?
a. Self-esteem.
b. Recognition.
c. Power.
3. Do I follow God's guidance?
4. Am I actually leading?
a. Management is not leadership.
b. Leaders must guide, inspire, challenge and motivate.
5. Who's really in control?
a. God must be in control.
b. Leaders must refrain from manipulating.
6. What's the vision?
7. What's the goal?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer's seven principles for erasing selfishness in churches:
1) Hold your tongue and refuse to speak uncharitably about a Christian
brother or sister.
2) Cultivate humility by understanding that you, like Paul, are the
greatest of sinners. You can only live in God's sight by his grace.
3) Listen long and patiently so that you will understand your fellow
Christian's need.
4) Refuse to consider your time so valuable that you cannot be
interrupted to help with unexpected needs, no matter how small or
menial.
5) Bear the burden of your brothers and sisters in the Lord, both by
preserving their freedom, and by forgiving their sinful abuse of
that freedom.
6) Declare God's word to your fellow believers when they need to hear it.
7) Understand that Christian authority is characterized by service and
does not call attention to the person who performs the service.
A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5, Ryan, 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. "If Jesus were sitting here, he would say, 'Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait.'"
Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Ryan, you be Jesus!"
Baby boomers have long taken the rap for being the most selfish generation of Americans ever, but we finally have some competition.
Our children and grandchildren are coming up fast in our rearview mirrors, and they’re about to leave us in their dust when it comes to narcissism and self-absorption.
I’m not just talking about the little thugs and thugettes who run amok in stores and restaurants while their clueless parents ignore them. I’m talking about at least some of the intelligent, ambitious young adults graduating this spring from American colleges and universities. Too many celebrity commencement speakers are telling them what they’ve heard for years from parents and others:
“You are special. The world revolves around you. The future belongs to you.”
In other words, they’re being sold a bill of goods by their indulgent boomer elders, who should know better by now. The world doesn’t revolve around 20-somethings any more than the sun revolves around the earth. Why are we telling them so? It shortchanges them and cripples the mission of the church, which needs a new generation of selfless servants –- not a new cult of self-worship.
Don’t get me wrong. I know many young adults who are living out a passionate desire to serve God. Some of them are making history right now on some of the toughest mission fields in the world. But they’re swimming against the tide of our times, not flowing with it.
Before you dismiss me as a grumpy boomer, read on.
Recent studies on parenting and child development by Christian researcher George Barna find that the typical worldview of Americans in their early 20s “promotes self-centeredness, the right to happiness and fulfillment, the importance of personal expression in all forms (and) the necessity of tolerating aberrant or immoral points of view; allows for disrespect of other people and use of profanity; and advances forms of generic spirituality that dismiss the validity of the Judeo-Christian faith. Largely propelled by postmodern thought, [this] worldview ... does not facilitate respect for life, acceptance of the rule of law or the necessity of hard work, personal sacrifice, paying dues or contributing to the common good.”
I know, I know. Every older generation complains about the behavior of “kids these days.” But the sense of entitlement on display among many young Americans today actually reflects years of conscious indoctrination by parents, teachers and coaches. These authority figures see their main mission not as educating and developing character in the young but as building “self-esteem,” according to Jeffrey Zaslow of The Wall Street Journal.
“Now, as this greatest generation grows up, the culture of praise is reaching deeply into the adult world,” Zaslow writes. “Bosses, professors and mates are feeling the need to lavish praise on young adults, particularly 20-somethings, or else see them wither under an unfamiliar compliment deficit. Employers are dishing out kudos to workers for little more than showing up.... Certainly, there are benefits to building confidence and showing attention. But some researchers suggest that inappropriate kudos are turning too many adults into narcissistic praise-junkies.”
America’s “praise fixation,” Zaslow warns, “has economic, labor and social ramifications. Adults who were over-praised as children are apt to be narcissistic at work and in personal relationships.”
He cites a multi-university study involving more than 16,000 college students over several decades. They took a standardized “narcissistic personality inventory,” responding to such statements as “I think I am a special person.” The average college student in 2006, according to the study, was 30 percent more narcissistic than the average student in 1982.
Praise and encouragement are wonderful tools as we love our children and guide them into adulthood. Mindless adulation, however, creates as many problems as condemnation. It deceives young people into thinking any effort at all is their best effort. It prevents them from discovering their true abilities, developing their potential or forming discipline and character. It hurts their chances of building loving relationships with others.
Worst of all, it distorts their understanding of God’s world and their role in it.
American-style Christianity already over-emphasizes the personal benefits of faith and neglects its responsibilities: Jesus loves me. He saved me. He blesses me. It’s all about me. The narcissistic “culture of praise,” as Zaslow calls it, only encourages this tendency. What about loving God, serving Him, following Him –- and demonstrating such faith by loving and serving others at home and around the world?
“Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers,” a 2005 book published by Oxford University Press, explored the inner lives of more than 3,000 U.S. teens ages 13 to 17. The study found that in contrast to the rebellious boomers, today’s teens tend to believe in God, listen to their parents and willingly adopt their parents’ religious views. If parents model a shallow faith with few demands, however, their children imitate them.
Biblical faith is about a very different “culture of praise.” We praise and serve a God who lavishes unconditional love and undeserved grace upon us.
*
[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #33177]
A man spoke with the Lord about heaven and hell. The Lord said to the man, “Come, I will show you hell.” They entered a room where a group of people sat around a huge pot of stew. Everyone was famished, desperate and starving. Each held a spoon that reached the pot, but each spoon had a handle so much longer than their own arm that it could not be used to get the stew into their own mouths. The suffering was terrible.
“Come, now I will show you heaven,” the Lord said after a while. They entered another room, identical to the first - the pot of stew, the group of people, the same long-handled spoons. But there everyone was happy and well nourished.
“I don't understand,” said the man. “Why are they happy here when they were miserable in the other room and everything was the same?”
The Lord smiled, “Ah, it is simple,” he said. “Here they have learned to feed each other.”
---------------------
By Ann Landers from A 2nd Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Copyright 1995 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
===========================================
Here's the Korean version from “Fair Dinkum” magazine:
The Korea there is a legend about a native warrior who died and went to heaven. “Before I enter”, he said to the gatekeeper, “I would like you to take me on a tour of Hell”. The gatekeeper found a guide to take the warrior to Hell. When he got there he was astonished to see a great table piled high with the choosiest foods. But the people in Hell were starving. The warrior turned to his guide and raised his eyebrows. “It’s this way”, the guide explained, “Everybody who comes here is given a pair of chopsticks, five feet long, and is required to hold them at the end to eat. But you cannot eat with chopsticks five feet long if you hold them at the end. They miss their mouths every time, you see”. The visitor agreed that this was indeed Hell, and was asked to be taken back to Heaven post haste.
In Heaven, to his surprise, he saw a similar room, with a similar table laden with the choosiest foods. But the people were happy; they looked radiantly happy. The visitor turned to his guide. “No chopsticks I suppose”, he said. “Oh yes”, said the guide, “They have the same chopsticks, the same length, and they have to be held at the end, just as in Hell. But you see these, these people have learned that if a man feeds his neighbor, his neighbor will feed him.”
(From Len, Hahndorf, SA)
Are you discipling a demanding person - someone who leaves you feeling perpetually frustrated? Haggai 1:6 provides an accurate description of a demanding disciple; unproductive, ungrateful, hard to please, never satisfied, and self indulgent. No matter how much you pour into a demanding disciple, chances are it will never be enough.
Should you give up on such a person? Not necessarily! But you will need to tackle the root of selfishness that is often at the heart of demanding behavior.
One way to attack selfishness is to teach, model, and practice its opposite; servanthood. Philippians 2:4 exhorts us to "look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." You can apply this to your demanding disciple by providing her with natural opportunities for service. The next time you have a major project to do at home, ask her to come over and give you a hand with it. Suggest acts of service you can do together; preparing food in a soup kitchen, helping a neighbor move, or doing yard work for an elderly person.
If scripture memory is part of your discipleship program, learn together several verses that emphasize the importance of giving and putting others first. Choose from among the following:
Mt 5:16, 25:40; Acts 20:35; Rom 12:10; 1 Cor 10:24; 2 Cor 9:6-7; Gal 5:13,
Gal 6:10; Phil 2:4; 1 Pet 4:9
Explore the Scriptures together for examples of the consequences of selfishness (Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5, Achan in Joshua 7, Haman in thee book of Esther) and the blessings of generosity (Dorcas in Acts 9:36-41, the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31, the good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37).
It is also critical that you clearly communicate boundaries. Many demanding people are that way because no one has told them it is inappropriate behavior. Let the person you are discipling know where you draw the line (for example, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't call during dinner because that is a very important family time for us.")
There is no quick cure for a demanding disciple but as you communicate boundaries, model servanthood, give her opportunities to practice serving, and as you pray for Christ to transform her, you may be glad you didn't give up.
If your aim is to be miserable most of the time, the following ten actions will help you reach that state of misery in record time:
1. Think only about yourself. Talk much about yourself. Include "I" as
much as you can in every conversation.
2. Pay close attention to what people think and say about you.
3. Expect to be appreciated.
4. Cultivate suspicion, jealousy and envy.
5. Be sensitive to every slight insult. Never forgive a criticism.
6. Trust nobody but yourself.
7. Insist upon special consideration.
8. Demand that everyone agree with your views and opinions on everything.
9. Shirk your duties and responsibilities if you can.
10. Do as little as possible for other people.
*
THE COLD WITHIN
Six humans trapped by happenstance
In black and bitter cold.
Each one possessed a stick of wood,
Or so the story's told.
Their dying fire in need of logs,
The first, a woman, held hers back.
For on a face around the fire,
She noticed it was black.
The next, a man, looking cross the way
Saw one not of his church,
So couldn't bring himself to offer
The fire his stick of birch.
The third, a man, sat in tattered clothes;
Gave his coat a hitch.
Why should his log be put to use
To warm the idle rich?
The rich man sat back and thought
Of the wealth he had in store.
And of how to keep what he'd earned
From the lazy poor.
The black man's face bespoke revenge
As the fire passed from his sight,
For in his stick of wood he saw
A chance to spite the white.
And the last member of this group
Did naught except for gain.
Giving only to those who gave
Was how he played the game.
The logs held tight in death's still hands
Was proof of human sin.
They didn't die from the cold without,
They died from the cold within.
Author unknown [But I certainly wish credit could be given for such a wonderful composition; if anyone knows the author please let me know.]
Application: Everything our Lord and Savior taught, all the deep and glorious springs of truth of heart and passion of soul are spoken of in this simple verse. Oh man, how you have fallen!
Source/Attribution: From a friend but edited for publication; © Sermon-Illustrations-Each-Week 2000, 000207-4
*
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 21:30:24 -0400
From: "Curtis Stamps"
Subject: Bill of (no) Rights...
Message-ID:
Guaranteed to offend all you left leaning liberals and effete discontents
and milksop do-gooders.
THE BILL OF NO RIGHTS
We, the sensible of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone
get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid any more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior and secure the blessing of debt-free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great grandchildren, hereby try one more time to obtain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt-ridden, delusion, lazy and other wimps.
We hold these trusts to be self-evident that a whole lot of people were
confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim that they require a *Bill
of No Rights*.
ARTICLE I
You do not have the right to a new car, big-screen color TV or any other
form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but
no one is guaranteeing anything.
ARTICLE II
You do not have the right to never be offended. The country is based on
freedom, and that means freedom for everyone -- not just you! You may
leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc., but
the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.
ARTICLE III
You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a
screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful, do not expect the
tool manufacturer to make you and all of your relatives independently
wealthy.
ARTICLE IV
You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the
most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need,
but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after
generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than
creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes.
ARTICLE V
You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but
from the looks of public housing, we're just not interested in public
health care.
ARTICLE VI
You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you
kidnap, rape, intentionally maim or kill someone, don't be surprised if
the rest of us get together and kill you.
ARTICLE VII
You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob,
cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don't be
surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place
where you still won't have the right to a big-screen color TV.
ARTICLE VIII
You do not have the right to demand that our children risk their lives
in foreign wars to soothe your aching conscience. We hate oppressive
governments and won't lift a finger to stop you from going to fight if
you'd like. However, we do not enjoy parenting the entire world and do
not want to spend so much of our time battling each and every little
tyrant with a military uniform and a funny hat.
ARTICLE IX
You do not have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to have one,
and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take
advantage of the opportunities in education and vocational training laid
before you to make yourself useful.
ARTICLE X
You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you
have the right to pursue happiness -- which, by the way, is a lot easier
if you are unencumbered by an overabundance of idiot laws created by
those around you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.
I'm too tired tonight to invent the opposing List. Anybody feel creative?
Curtis Stamps, Whippany,
in dear old New Jersey
curtstamps@worldnet.att.net
During the "Big Blackout" of November 1965 eight states and part of Canada were without power. Some 30 million people were affected. With no electric lights, candles were in great demand. An announcer on a New York station that stayed on the air because it had auxiliary power reported, "An interesting drama is being unfolded on our streets. The price of candles in many stores had doubled. On the other hand, some good-hearted merchants are offering their candles at half price, or even giving them away."
James Bender, in his book, How to Talk Well (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1994), relates the story of a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon.
One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors.
“How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year,” the reporter asked.
“Why sir,” said the farmer, “didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn.”
He is very much aware of the correctness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves.
So it is in other dimensions. Those who choose to be at peace must help their neighbors to be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.
The lesson for each of us is this: if we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbors grow good corn.
"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." Luke 6:38
"But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." 2 Corinthians 9:6
"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." Galatians 6:7-10
Toddlers Creed:
If I want it, it's mine
If I give it to you and change my minde later, it's mine
If I take it away from you, it's mine.
If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
If it's mine it will not belong to anyone else.
No matter what!
If we're building something together, all the pieces are mine
If it looks like mine, it's mine.
James Bender, in his book "How To Talk Well" relates the story of a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon. ONe year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it.
The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. "How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.
"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grew inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn."
He is very much aware of the connectness of his life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves. So it is in other dimensions. Those who choose to be at peace must help their neighbors to be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.
The lesson for each of us is this: if we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbors grow good corn.
--GRAYMERE NEWS, Columbia, TN
HOW TO BE MISERABLE IN 20 EASY STEPS!
1. Use "I" as often as possible.
2. Always be sensitive to slights.
3. Be jealous and envious.
4. Think only about yourself.
5. Talk only about yourself.
6. Trust no one.
7. Never forget a criticism.
8. Always expect to be appreciated.
9. Be suspicious.
10. Listen greedily to what others say about you.
11. Look for faults in others.
12. Shirk your duties if you can.
13. Do as little as possible for others.
14. Never forget a service you may have rendered.
15. Sulk if people are not grateful for your favors.
16. Insist on consideration and respect.
17. Demand agreement with your own views on everything.
18. Always look for a good time.
19. Love yourself first.
20. Be selfish at all times.
________
PULPIT HELPS, July, 1991
Among the Saxons the custom prevailed of burning the yule-log at
the Christmas-tide. "A selfish man, who had plenty of money but no
sympathy, was keeping his Christmas all alone; and out of deference to
the day, he kept a little log burning with a very feeble flame. As he
shivered in the chilly atmosphere of his desolate room, he fell asleep
and dreamed. In his dream he heard a voice which drew his attention to
a beautiful child who stood near him, and said, 'Jesus is cold.' With
an impatient movement the selfish man stirred the fire a little, and
said, 'Why don't you go to the farmhouse down the lane? You'll be warm
enough there.' 'Yes,' replied the child; 'but you make me cold, you
are so cold.' 'Then, what can I do for you?' 'You can give me a gold
coin.' With a great deal of reluctance, the money-chest was opened,
and a gold coin was given to the child. He took it. instantly the
dingy room became bright and cheerful, as the child hung up some
laurel and holly, saying, 'These are for life;' and pl aced two
candles on the shelf saying, 'These are for light;' and stirred the
fire saying, 'That is for love.' Then the door was thrown open, and a
poor widow and a sick man, and orphan children, were brought in and
seated at a bountiful repast, while the child kept saying, 'Jesus is
warm now;' and the selfish man noticed that he also was enjoying the
scene, so that he presently confessed 'I think that I am warmer, too.'
Then the child suddenly disappeared, and in his place there was a
divine presence; and solemnly the words were pronounced, 'Although I
am in heaven, I am everywhere; for everywhere is heaven if I am there.
I cannot suffer as I once suffered; but whenever my children are cold
and hungry, or persecuted or neglected, I suffer with them; and
whenever they are warm and fed, and sheltered and loved, I rejoice
with them; so that Jesus is often cold, and Jesus is often warm.' " --
Miller.
By J. Wilbur Chapan, "Present Day Parables."
A wealthy Boston family
held a christening party after the baptism of their
baby. Guests and friends swarmed into their palatial home. Soon the
party
was in full swing. People were having a wonderful time, enjoying one
another,
eating, drinking, and being merry. Somebody asked, "By the way,
where's the
baby?" Instantly the mother's heart shuddered! In questioning panic,
she left
the room and rushed into the master bedroom where she had left her
baby asleep
in the middle of their large bed. There on the bed she found a huge
pile of
the guests' coats. The mother rushed to them and began to fling them
aside as
she clawed down to the bottom of the pile. To her horror she found
her baby.
. . dead. . . smothered by the coats of her guests. My friends, don't
let
Jesus be smothered by the coats of guests as you busy yourself running
here
and there overcome by the stress of the season.
A PEASANT had in his garden an Apple-Tree which bore no fruit but
only served as a harbor for the sparrows and grasshoppers. He
resolved to cut it down, and taking his axe in his hand, made a bold
stroke at its roots. The grasshoppers and sparrows entreated him not
to cut down the tree that sheltered them, but to spare it, and they
would sing to him and lighten his labors. He paid no attention to
their request, but gave the tree a second and a third blow with his
axe. When he reached the hollow of the tree, he found a hive full of
honey. Having tasted the honeycomb, he threw down his axe, and
looking on the tree as sacred, took great care of it.
Self-interest alone moves some men, but love should be the interest of
every Christian.
Commercial flying has become even more of an adventure recently than it was before - especially with the closer scrutiny you get going through airline security. They x-ray, they wand passengers and search passengers, they do more hand searches of your bag, they check for explosive residues. And they confiscate lots of things - knives, fingernail files, tools, box cutters, clippers. And very few passengers are objecting. I mean, we know that if you want to avoid tragedy, you have to not let on anyone or anything that could do something damaging.
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Security Checks for Families."
Now, families need to follow a similar security procedure. No, not making everyone go through a metal detector and a wand search before they come in the house. I mean each member of your family needs to be sure they don't bring anything into the life of your family that can cause damage, or even tragedy. And there are things we each can bring into our home that hurt. We just have to stop letting them in.
Ephesians 5, beginning with verse 21 - our word for today from the Word of God - suggests four ways that a family member can make things crash at your house. And no matter what your role in your family, there's something for you in these verses. The basic principle of a family that works is this: "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." In other words, a family works when each person is doing his or her part to put the other people first. With that in mind, let's look at four ways - actually four people - who can sabotage a family. Listen for the one that applies to you.
For the husband, this "submitting to one another" goes like this: "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, to make her holy ... and to present her to Himself as a radiant church." God's kind of husband is daily sacrificing his self-interest for his wife's best - and, as a result, helping her become more radiant than she's ever been before. You can tell a woman who's married to a man who makes her feel that special. So, the first person who can sabotage a happy family is a selfish husband. If you're a husband, don't bring that kind of "bomb" aboard.
If you're a wife, it's supposed to look like this: "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord." God's kind of wife is loyal, supportive, respecting her husband's God-given responsibility as leader of the home. So, the second person who can sabotage a family is a defiant wife.
OK, let's move on to a son or daughter - "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right." God goes on to promise unique blessings to a child who respects Him by obeying his parents. Saboteur #3 - a rebellious child.
And if you're a parent, "Fathers, do not exasperate your children. Instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." You can exasperate your child with crushing expectations, hypocritical living, much criticism, little encouragement. So, a frustrating parent can also bring damage to what otherwise could be a great flight.
A selfish husband ... a defiant wife ... a rebellious child ... a frustrating parent - they each bring things onto your family's flight that can bring it down. But we each can do our part to make our home a safe place to be, where people are built up, not torn down. We each have a position to play - to bring love and encouragement and respect to the other members of our family - whether they're doing it or not. Be sure you're not bringing things aboard that can hijack your family's happiness.
________________
Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. 'Practical Answers to Real Life Issues'
*
The Toddler Property Laws: 1. If I like it, it's mine. 2. If it's in my hand, it's mine. 3. If I can take it from you, it's mine. 4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine. 5. If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way. 6. If I'm doing or building something, all the pieces are mine. 7. If it looks just like mine, it's mine. 8. If I think it's mine, it's mine. 9. If it's yours and I steal it, it's mine. 10. If I ...
We often put our affection on stuff that has a price tag. I read recently a story about an old, rich man with a cranky, miserable attitude who visited a Rabbi. The Rabbi was a simple man whose heart was right and he lived a simple life. They weren’t together very long before the Rabbi got a wonderful idea on how to illustrate to the man what was wrong. He took him by the hand and he led him over to his window and he said, “Now look out the window and tell me what you see.”
The man stood there and said, “Well I see some men and some women and I see a few children.”
The Rabbi took him by the hand and led him across the room to a mirror and said, “Now look there and tell me what you see.”
The man frowned and said, “Well, obviously, I see myself.”
“Interesting”, the Rabbi replied. “In the window there is glass, in the mirror there is glass. But the glass of the mirror is covered with a little bit of silver. And no sooner is the silver added than you cease to see others, and only yourself.”
Maybe our troubles started when just a little bit of silver was added and we stopped looking through and starting looking at.
Scottish author George MacDonald once stated, “The one principle of hell is — 'I am my own.'“ [1]
This is a deceptive principle, deceptive like the snake in the Garden. He promised Adam and Eve that they could become like God, and the first principle of hell promises the same. I am my own, it shouts. I am in control. I will determine my life, my aims, my ends. In short, it promises the supremacy of our will — that our will, will be. This is nothing less than promising that we will be like God.
But what if the principle could be fully realized? If your will would be done? If you were God? What then? Do you have the resources within you to love? Do you have the resources within you to care? Do you have the resources within you to bring happiness? To bring peace? If your will would be done, what would be done?
Contrary to modern optimism, human history tells the story of our will being done. Our hypothetical question has been answered by history time and again. Genocide, war, racism, these are just a few of our stripes. But we need not open a history book to see these stripes. If we open our own hearts, our stripes are plain to see. Reflect on your own heart, and you will see that I am telling the truth.
Isaiah tells of stripes of another kind that are intimately related to our own stripes. He tells of the stripes that marked Christ's back in His passion. Isaiah paradoxically proclaimed, by Christ's stripes, by Christ's wounds, we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5) In essence, His pain is our balm.
Jesus, just before He was to go through the hell of the cross expressed the antithesis to the one principle of hell. He expressed the one principle of heaven: not my will but thine. Just as paradoxically his stripes heal our stripes, so paradoxically surrendering our will does not impoverish us but rather enriches us — for it opens us up to his resources of love, his resources of care, his resources of peace. You see, the principle of heaven opens us up to God's power, and the principle of hell closes us off to it.
Let us seek to unleash the power of the one principle of heaven and so squelch the power of the one principle of hell.
____________
1. C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald: An Anthology, (San Francisco: Harper, 1973), p. 103.
____________
Copyright © 2002 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.
*
[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #8768]
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