[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] Brenda Walshed devotional

Mon Mar 29 10:34:33 UTC 2021

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Me-First Generation
People today suffer from the fundamental human defect of selfishness. It’s all about what “they” want and not much thought about how it affects others. You don’t have to look very hard to find that the root of every problem is selfishness, and all selfishness is sin. The Bible says in James 3:16, “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” Wanting our own way is part of our sinful nature and shows a lack of love for others. And yet, we are told in the Bible over and over again the importance of loving others–even our enemies! Luke 6:35 makes it clear: “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.“ God wants us to love as He loves. We are counseled in Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” The devil uses the sin of selfishness as a way to separate us from Jesus, and as we get nearer and nearer to the end of time, his efforts are increasing. We are living in the “me-first generation” where self-centeredness is at an all-time high. People manipulate others to get what they want and use it to their advantage. It’s not wrong to have personal preferences, but to “insist” on your preferences opens the door to discouragement, conflict, bitterness, and anger. Ask God to remove all selfishness from your heart and to replace it with an extra measure of His love so that you can live a life that is pleasing to God. Text: Philippians 2:3-8, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, Matthew 5:43-48, Romans 13:8-10, 1 Corinthians 10:24

Bible Texts:
Philippians 2:3-8 NKJV - Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NKJV - Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 

Matthew 5:43-48 NKJV - "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? "And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. 

Romans 13:8-10 NKJV - Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. 

1 Corinthians 10:24 NKJV - Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well-being.

© Brenda Walsh Ministries www.brendawalsh.com

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