How can I become more selfless?
Luke 9:23Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.”
Following Jesus requires that we become selfless. As we follow him, selfish ambition will be replaced with selfless devotion.
Galatians 5:22-26The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.
When we come to Christ by faith, we must lay aside our selfish ambition and let the Holy Spirit control our lives. The Holy Spirit’s presence helps us become more self-giving.
Luke 22:26“But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant.”
John 13:14-15“And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.”
Galatians 5:13You have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
As Jesus’ followers, we are to follow his model of servanthood and humility. As we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, over time we will become more selfless.
Esther 4:16“Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.”
Matthew 18:1-4About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Luke 14:7-11When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Philippians 2:3-5Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
We should exercise Jesus’ humble attitude to develop an unselfish spirit. Remember that when Jesus instructed others to take the lowest place at the table, he actually practiced what he preached. And he still does that today, not insisting on our attention, but waiting for our willing response.
Romans 15:1-3We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. For even Christ didn’t live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, “The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me.”
1 Corinthians 10:23-24, 33You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial. Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others. . . . I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.
1 Corinthians 8:9You must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble.
2 Corinthians 13:9We are glad to seem weak if it helps show that you are actually strong. We pray that you will become mature.
2 Timothy 2:10So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.
We should relate to others selflessly as God does. If living out our faith costs us nothing, we are not actually doing following Jesus.
1 Timothy 6:18Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.
1 Peter 4:10God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.
1 John 3:17If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?
We should give of ourselves and our resources. This is more than just throwing money at problems and needs. It involves getting involved deeply enough so we can truly understand how best to help.
