by J. Christian Andrews
September 29, 2015
“And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, ‘If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.’ And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.’” Mark 9:35-37
It occurs to me that we adults are at the core selfish. Well, we are all at the core selfish; but since it is we adults who “run the world,” I am choosing to address these comments to us, the adults. It is the nature with which we are born, and it is the nature with which we too often make decisions.
My children did not participate in childhood sports outside of their physical education classes at school not because I asked them what they wanted or not but because I didn’t want to be a “soccer mom.” It may seem a minor concern, and it is not in essence different than the parents who make their children do things because the parent is living vicariously through them. What I wonder, though, is how often the choices we make say or don’t say to our children something about what we believe about God. We may say we love Jesus, but do our actions show we love Jesus?
Do we give generously of our time, talents, and wealth (10%), or are these our gods?
Do we use God’s name to pray, praise, and thank Him for His generosity toward us?
Do we regularly attend the services of the Church not because we like or dislike the pastor or like or dislike the sermons but because we want
to remember the Sabbath and gladly hear and learn God’s Word?
Do we actively protect life?
Do we uphold God’s Biblical institution of marriage, loving sacrificially, and showing honor to our wives and husbands?
Do we gain honestly that which we possess, both physical and intellectual property?
Do we speak kindly of all, and “don’t say anything if you don’t have something nice to say.”
Do we desire only that which God has graciously given us? How we make a living? What we own?
Is God really our Father?
Do we really let Him have full control and reign in our lives?
Do we study to know His will and really want in our lives what He wants for us?
Do we trust that He will provide graciously for us when we seek first His kingdom?
Do we hold grudges, or do we forgive as we have been forgiven?
Do we stay away from things and situations that would temp us to think, speak, or do evil?
The reality is that in our selfishness, we cannot do right. But…
There is a but in the Gospel, But now apart from the Law, God reveals Himself to us in Jesus. God comes to us with love and grace and forgiveness. God, in Jesus, died to take our selfishness away, to transform us through repentance (the renewing of our minds).
It occurs to me that we don’t have to live selfish lives. Well, we can’t in our own strength or reason not live selfish lives; but God transforms us when He forgives us, and He gives us a new desire and a new purpose. Instead of being held captive by our selfish desires, we can now, by the power of the Holy Spirit in us, live lives that are transformed. We can now live lives that show our children, our grandchildren, our nieces and nephews, our students, that we do indeed love Jesus and can make decisions according to God’s purpose for us.