Selfishness

“Not only [did they give materially] as we had hoped, but first they gave themselves to the Lord and to us [as His representatives] by the will of God [disregarding their personal interests and giving as much as they possibly could]. So we urged Titus that, as he began it, he should also complete this gracious work among you as well.”
2 Corinthians 8:5-6 AMP

There is an order of priority to be followed in our Christian walk, an order that may not always align with our own desires and inclinations. We can experience a degree of conflict between our sinful natures and the Spirit of God within us. But in our verses today, Paul writes that they seem to have got the order of priority correct. The Corinthians were eager to give money to help the poor in Jerusalem; in fact, they were quite insistent. However, Paul could see that their first priority was to give “themselves to the Lord”, and, as well, give themselves to “us” – Paul and his colleagues, as God’s representatives. 

Any human being starts life not thinking about others but instead thinking about themselves, motivated by a desire to please themselves. As we grow, that usually doesn’t change much. Our focus can become more dispersed among areas that are important to us, such as relationships, careers, or goals. But the bottom line is almost always a desire to please ourselves. The quest for happiness is a universal journey. But that is not how God created us, as we know from Genesis 1:27, “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them”. So, comparing ourselves to God (if that were even possible!), Do we think He would be so selfish as to focus solely on himself? We know otherwise, because he sent His Son to die a sinner’s death, but even more, he took on the sins of the world, from everyone who has ever lived, past, present and future. Would we have been so concerned by the plight of others that we too would forget ourselves and instead shift our thoughts and actions to them and their needs? Being made in God’s image perhaps highlights where our true focus should be.

So, giving ourselves to God means adopting His ways in living our lives. It is said that within us is a God-shaped hole that has to be filled by God Himself. The French philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person, and it can never be filled by any created thing. It can only be filled by God, made known through Jesus Christ”. As we said earlier, human beings are more interested in filling this “hole” or “vacuum” with created things, human relationships or ineffective and useless philosophies. There is a plethora of “things” available for those who seek self-gratification, such as alcohol and drugs, pornography, and similar dark devices, but we mustn’t forget sports and hobbies, all of which can attempt to fill the void inside. Others seek a remedy on a psychiatrist’s couch or pursue religions and philosophies that pander to the ”me” inside us, rather than look upwards to God Himself. It is amazing the lengths to which human beings will go to avoid contact with their Creator. 

The Shorter Westminster Catechism starts with the question, “What is the chief end of man?”, to which the answer is “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever”. Paul wrote, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). This immediately shifts the human focus to God, but provides a problem for those who do not believe that He exists. They continue to live with a vacuum inside that can never be filled, no matter how hard they try. Some people dream of unimaginable wealth, believing it would make a difference, but research shows that lottery winners are among the unhappiest people in the world. Nothing in this world can get close to what God intended.

When we come to the place of recognising life is not about ourselves, we are ready to stop running from God and allow Him to take over. The only way any of us can have a relationship with a holy God is to admit that we are sinners, turn away from that sin, and accept the sacrifice that Jesus made. There is no other way. Picture an altar dedicated to the only true God. Then imagine crawling onto it, lying down, and saying, “Here I am, God. I’m a sinner, but you love me anyway. Thank you for dying for me and rising from the dead so my sin could be forgiven. Cleanse me, forgive me, and make me your child. Take me. All of me. I want to live for you from now on”. 

Paul wrote, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2).

Before the Corinthians could give to the poor, they had to give themselves to God. There are nominal Christians today who go through all the motions and even generously give of their money to their church and its ministries, but without first having that relationship with God, it is all pointless. Following a liturgy won’t get them to Heaven. A pass to gain entry through the pearly gates cannot be purchased with human gold. There is only one way to Heaven, and that is to believe in Jesus. Simple but profound. We pilgrims today perhaps are looking inwards instead of upwards, but there is a remedy: once again, we turn our eyes upon Jesus and look into His wonderful face. We then find that all the created objects and methods come to nothing “in the light of His glory and grace”. 

Dear Father God. Our lives are here to provide You with the glory You deserve. Please forgive us for our waywardness, as we dip into the things of the world rather than into the things of Your Word. We worship You today. Amen.