Selfish - holding one’s self-interest
as the standard for decision making
Pride comes from thinking you’re better than other people
Selfishness comes from just not thinking about other people
Pride makes you think everyone else is wrong
Selfishness makes you ignore the fact that there is a problem
Pride looks like actively getting your own way
Selfishness looks like doing things your own way out of default
Pride often leads to self-righteous actions
Selfishness often leads to inaction, or laziness
Selfishness generally sneaks up on people. If you are a selfish person, you probably have no idea that you are that way, and you might not know that people generally see you that way.
Philippians 2:3
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
In the Greek, "selfish ambition" is summed up by the word: eritheia, which shows up 7 times in the New Testament:
- 2 of them are warnings from Paul to churches,
telling them to stay away from selfishness at all costs
- 1 of them describes the way
that self-righteous enemies of the church share the gospel
- 1 of them describes the heart of people
who reject God and deserve God’s wrath
- 2 of them are from James describing what false wisdom looks like
- The final one is the one we just read in Philippians:
begging the people of God to live a life worthy of the gospel
and start looking like Jesus
So, what do we do about it?
Philippians 2:3-8
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
We are told to have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, so what did he do?
He looked at the needs of people, and He submitted to God’s plan.
SUBMIT TO GOD’S PLAN
Matthew 26:39
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
In what area do you approach God in a selfish way?
Spending time with God
Are you spending time with God?
Are you giving Him the time of day
to make Him the most important thing in your life?
The Plan for Your Life
Are you seeking your own plan and agenda for your life or are you allowing God to do what he wants to do?
Prayer Life
Do you lead your prayer life, or does He?
Your Time and Priorities
Are you living your whole life like it’s for the gospel?
LOOK TO THE NEEDS OF OTHER PEOPLE
In what area do you approach other people in a selfish way?
Prayer Life
Are you fighting in prayer for other people, or does 90% of what you pray have to do with yourself?
Luke 11:1-5
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:
“‘Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”
Discipleship
Are you treating that like its a relationship with a person who is lovingly and selflessly investing in your life, or are you treating it like that person owes you something?
Are you committed to pray for your discipler?
Are you asking them what’s going on in their life?
Are you thinking about how your actions affect them?
Life Group
Are you showing up to see what you can give to the people around you, or are you showing up to see what you can give to them?
Lost Friends
Do you care enough about lost people to get involved their lives?
Friendships
Do you hang out with the people who need friendship, or do you only hang out with people you are comfortable around?
