Selfishly Caring
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

Selfishly Caring

“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self.” Luke 9:25

49
Selfishly Caring
Unsplash

Wait a minute… ‘selfishly caring’ is an oxymoron. How can you be both? Take a look at the first part of the first word: ‘self’ and add it to caring. Self-caring. I don’t mean self-care as in brushing your teeth, wearing clean clothes, and making sure you eat and stay hydrated. Self-caring here is referring to caring more about oneself than anyone else… ‘I’m superior above every other being.’ Few of us would honestly admit to this, but, well, I have this motive often. The whole ‘me, myself & I’ theology. This has become more and more the typical way of life and not just for America.

Think of the last time you decided to be selfish. You walk up to wait in a line and decide you don’t want to wait long, so you slyly maneuver your way past others. You’re driving and someone is not going the speed you want. To make sure this person knows you’re mad, you zoom past them once you have the chance (someone has done something like this to me before). How did I reply? By invisibly smack-talking the lovely lady who wheeled her way past the light while I got snuggled up in front of it. How about this? You just order your food, sit down to eat, and your friend asks you to share [or freely gives himself permission]. My dad is notorious for peeking his face in anticipation over my shoulder as I fix myself a snack. It’s like he’s hinting at the idea he wants what I’m making… for myself. Drives. Me. Crazy. Although I may have worked real hard to scoop that ice cream into that bowl and pour the hardened chocolate over it, it’s all a blessing from God and I should be glad to share with others what God has shared with me. You’re walked out of class and see someone who God is calling you to. *Moans, groans, and dead bones. “But God, I really want to get home. You know I wanted to watch my show, and I’m already halfway to my car. Couldn’t you have at least told me while I was still in class?” Maybe He did and we weren’t listening or maybe God has placed this person (or people) on that day and time because He wants to see (although He already knows) if we’ll be faithful.

(“Ugh, Cassie, why do you have to put it that way?”)

I won’t even go into the details of Black Friday.

Acts 4:32 says:

“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.”

Maybe you’ve heard of the phrase, “Sharing is caring.” This seems cheesy, corny, carroty, [whatever other food item you’d like to insert here], but it’s true. When we’re unselfish, we’re not on self and are actually gaining a better way of living: our eyes are opened to more than just us. The only way we can really be selfless is to have Christ in our hearts because He is the root of humility. It’s strange to think about Luke 9:25 above: by pleasing our own fleshly desires, we are actually losing ourselves. If believers are not on self, they’re on God, who is on others. Can you imagine sharing EVERYTHING? I cannot. For example, sharing my food sincerely bothers me at times, but my goodness, it’s going to eventually leave my system as though it never came in anyways! Can you fathom how Spirit-filled it must have been for everybody to share everything they had?

Truth is, I don’t deserve the A on my test no matter how hard I study. I don’t deserve to live in a home or have eternal life. I lost ten pounds, but I don’t deserve to eat that Recces’ mix from Braum’s. I don’t deserve a husband or kids. This sounds radical, but I dare say I’ve become accustomed to believing I deserve certain things when in fact, I don’t deserve anything good. But here’s the cool thing: because of Jesus, I’m blessed with good things.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” –James 1:17

How do I reverse my self-caring? By caring. Praying for humility, being intentional with the way I act toward others. Not cutting people off in line or when driving, sharing my food (gonna have to really work on this one), being compassionate toward the one with a dirty look, having desires but not letting them consume me — instead of trusting God with them and serving others. I can be really selfish when I let the flesh rule, but when I get outside myself, I allow more of the Spirit in, and I’m no longer focusing on me. Not being selfish is a daily denial of self, looking into the interests of others (Philippians 2:3-4).

“Then he said to them all; ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.” –Luke 9:23-24

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
the beatles
Wikipedia Commons

For as long as I can remember, I have been listening to The Beatles. Every year, my mom would appropriately blast “Birthday” on anyone’s birthday. I knew all of the words to “Back In The U.S.S.R” by the time I was 5 (Even though I had no idea what or where the U.S.S.R was). I grew up with John, Paul, George, and Ringo instead Justin, JC, Joey, Chris and Lance (I had to google N*SYNC to remember their names). The highlight of my short life was Paul McCartney in concert twice. I’m not someone to “fangirl” but those days I fangirled hard. The music of The Beatles has gotten me through everything. Their songs have brought me more joy, peace, and comfort. I can listen to them in any situation and find what I need. Here are the best lyrics from The Beatles for every and any occasion.

Keep Reading...Show less
Being Invisible The Best Super Power

The best superpower ever? Being invisible of course. Imagine just being able to go from seen to unseen on a dime. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to be invisible? Superman and Batman have nothing on being invisible with their superhero abilities. Here are some things that you could do while being invisible, because being invisible can benefit your social life too.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

19 Lessons I'll Never Forget from Growing Up In a Small Town

There have been many lessons learned.

70778
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

132392
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments