Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word
~Psalms 119: 35-37
2 Inspirational Art Magnets-Hindu Proverb Magnet by PrayerNotes
THOUGHTS
It is so easy to fall into selfishness. I used to think that selfishness only meant that you didn't want to share what you had, you were unwilling to tend to the needs of others, or you just didn't care about anyone but yourself. Of course it is easy not to be selfish in those respects! Especially when you WANT to share the love that Christ shares with you. But, over the past few days I've learned a new meaning for selfishness, one that I've found myself fallen into, and one that is SO easy to become consumed with. It's hard for me to express, because it is what I am going through right now, but it is something that needs to be said.
SELFISHNESS TO SELFLESSNESS
Selflessness. Denying self. Denying the WANTS of self... and not just the sinful wants of the flesh, but ALSO the desires of our HEART. Let's say that you've been praying and waiting for God to move. You know He will...when He is ready. And you wait. And you watch others get blessed with the very thing you are waiting on. Slowly you begin to pray even more earnestly. Maybe times running out. Maybe seeing your loved one (or you) in such painful health is unbearable.Whatever the situation might be. You begin to wonder what IS GOD doing? And then...you have begun to fall into selfishness. My pastor put it perfectly today when he said:
"I [God] have given you the ability to change lives. Why are you placing more emphasis on these worldly things?"
We get to the point where the things we are petitioning God for start to carry more weight than what God has called us to do with our lives. (I know I'm not the only one) The ways that God is using our lives to help other people. I fell into that. And I'm just starting to deny myself back out of it. You see, my calling deals directly with the very thing I've petitioned God for, for many years. And it was causing me to become bitter in my calling. My best friend [love her dearly] was joking with me and told me to "stop being selfish" and she couldn't have been more right! God has been using me to touch lives...and id grown selfish and bitter wondering "what about me?" for so long.
We must remember that God hears all of our prayers and He answers and comes through on His own time. This was a nifty saying I found posted:
"When you ask God for something, He either: says yes and gives it to you; says No and gives you something better; or make you WAIT and gives you the BEST."
So we lay our cares to God and trust that He will answer them in His perfect timing. Meanwhile we must LEAVE those petitions in prayer and use our time to continue to change the lives of others, in whatever way God has called us to do. As we do God's work... we know that God is handling OUR work. In the end, everyone gets blessed.
PRAYER
Dear Lord let us become the true meaning of the word: selflessness. Allow us to trust you enough to leave our petitions with you and wait patiently for whatever your answer may be. Even if the answer is no, we know that you only have our best interests at heart. Let us be even a brighter light that shines in the lives of others, leading others to you. And let that always be our primary focus. In Jesus Name. Amen.
_____________
Till Next Time
God Bless
Amanda of AstriaLegends.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word
~Psalms 119: 35-37
2 Inspirational Art Magnets-Hindu Proverb Magnet by PrayerNotesTHOUGHTS
It is so easy to fall into selfishness. I used to think that selfishness only meant that you didn't want to share what you had, you were unwilling to tend to the needs of others, or you just didn't care about anyone but yourself. Of course it is easy not to be selfish in those respects! Especially when you WANT to share the love that Christ shares with you. But, over the past few days I've learned a new meaning for selfishness, one that I've found myself fallen into, and one that is SO easy to become consumed with. It's hard for me to express, because it is what I am going through right now, but it is something that needs to be said.
SELFISHNESS TO SELFLESSNESS
Selflessness. Denying self. Denying the WANTS of self... and not just the sinful wants of the flesh, but ALSO the desires of our HEART. Let's say that you've been praying and waiting for God to move. You know He will...when He is ready. And you wait. And you watch others get blessed with the very thing you are waiting on. Slowly you begin to pray even more earnestly. Maybe times running out. Maybe seeing your loved one (or you) in such painful health is unbearable.Whatever the situation might be. You begin to wonder what IS GOD doing? And then...you have begun to fall into selfishness. My pastor put it perfectly today when he said:
"I [God] have given you the ability to change lives. Why are you placing more emphasis on these worldly things?"
We get to the point where the things we are petitioning God for start to carry more weight than what God has called us to do with our lives. (I know I'm not the only one) The ways that God is using our lives to help other people. I fell into that. And I'm just starting to deny myself back out of it. You see, my calling deals directly with the very thing I've petitioned God for, for many years. And it was causing me to become bitter in my calling. My best friend [love her dearly] was joking with me and told me to "stop being selfish" and she couldn't have been more right! God has been using me to touch lives...and id grown selfish and bitter wondering "what about me?" for so long.
We must remember that God hears all of our prayers and He answers and comes through on His own time. This was a nifty saying I found posted:
"When you ask God for something, He either: says yes and gives it to you; says No and gives you something better; or make you WAIT and gives you the BEST."
So we lay our cares to God and trust that He will answer them in His perfect timing. Meanwhile we must LEAVE those petitions in prayer and use our time to continue to change the lives of others, in whatever way God has called us to do. As we do God's work... we know that God is handling OUR work. In the end, everyone gets blessed.
PRAYER
Dear Lord let us become the true meaning of the word: selflessness. Allow us to trust you enough to leave our petitions with you and wait patiently for whatever your answer may be. Even if the answer is no, we know that you only have our best interests at heart. Let us be even a brighter light that shines in the lives of others, leading others to you. And let that always be our primary focus. In Jesus Name. Amen.
_____________
Till Next Time
God Bless
Amanda of AstriaLegends.
12:00 AM |
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comments
Comments (6)
Great post! Yes, we do have to be careful of that.
I needed this. I have to say that this is a side of selfishness we don't often consider. Thanks :-)
Amen!
Thank you Amanda for sharing this with us. There is one issue in my life that is unresolved and I have been praying for an answer. Praying every day for that answer. I will have to leave it at His feet and wait.
♥♥♥
Sue
Thank you, Amanda. It's such a blessing to come here and get a whole new perspective on things. This requires some thought :-)
Ouch...rubbing my toes a bit. Thank you for sharing this with us. It is so hard to be selfless.
That hit home....am I really selflessly giving...!
According to HIS will, I need to really think about this, thank you for posting so thought provoking♥
Monika