Selfishness: Living in Brotherly Love
Today, we turn our hearts and minds to a very practical and often insidious topic that profoundly impacts our relationships, our spiritual walk, and the very health of the church: selfishness. It is a deeply ingrained human tendency, a gravitational pull towards "me," that can hinder our growth in Christ and cripple our ability to love as God loves.
My prayer for all of us today is that God would indeed help us abandon this self-centered attitude and enable us, by the power of His Holy Spirit, to live lives characterized by genuine brotherly love.
Let us examine this challenging topic by looking at its presence in Scripture, contrasting it with examples of selflessness, hearing God's warnings against it, and understanding its tragic consequences.
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I. EXAMPLES OF SELFISHNESS IN THE BIBLE
The Bible, in its unflinching honesty, provides numerous stark examples of selfishness and its devastating effects:
A. Cain (Genesis 4:8-9): The very first murder recorded in Scripture is a chilling display of selfishness. Cain, consumed by envy because God favored Abel's offering, allowed his own self-interest and bruised pride to lead him to kill his brother. His response to God's question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" reveals a heart utterly devoid of brotherly concern, a product of unchecked selfishness.
B. Ahab (1 Kings 21:1-16): King Ahab's covetousness for Naboth's vineyard is another classic example. He desired what was not his, and when Naboth refused to sell, Ahab's selfish desire led him to sulk. His wicked wife, Jezebel, then orchestrated Naboth's murder, all to satisfy the king's selfish longing for a piece of land.
C. Saul (1 Samuel 18:6-11): King Saul, once chosen by God, succumbed to rampant insecurity and selfishness. After David's victory over Goliath and his growing popularity, Saul "began to eye David suspiciously from that day on." His envy of David's success fueled a relentless, selfish pursuit to kill him, seeing David as a threat to his own throne and glory.
D. Selfishness among brothers (Ezekiel 34:18-19): God, through the prophet Ezekiel, condemns the selfish shepherds of Israel who oppressed their own flock. "Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clean water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied?" This describes those who selfishly consume all the blessings for themselves, oppressing others and not allowing them to be blessed or partake.
E. Neglect of the temple (Haggai 1:4): After the exile, God confronted His people through the prophet Haggai because their priorities were skewed by selfishness. While their own houses were adorned and paneled, the house of God, the temple, lay abandoned and in ruins. They prioritized their personal comfort and luxury over the worship and glory of God.
F. They only seek their own interests (Zechariah 7:6; Philippians 2:21): The prophets often decried those who focused solely on themselves. Zechariah asks, "When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really to me that you were fasting?" Their fasting was self-serving. Paul, in Philippians 2:21, expresses his frustration, stating, "For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ." This is the essence of selfishness: a pervasive mindset that prioritizes personal gain, comfort, and desires above all else, including the needs of others and the will of God.
II. CHARACTERS WHO WERE NOT SELFISH
Praise God, the Bible also presents us with inspiring individuals who chose to live lives marked by selflessness and a deep concern for others. These are the examples we should emulate.
A. Moses (Exodus 32:32): After Israel's grievous sin with the golden calf, God was ready to wipe them out and make Moses into a great nation. But Moses, with incredible selflessness, interceded for the people, pleading with God, "But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written." He was willing to sacrifice his own eternal standing for the sake of God's rebellious people. What profound selflessness!
B. Nehemiah (Nehemiah 5:17-18): As governor of Judah, Nehemiah had every right to demand provisions and taxes for his own sustenance. Yet, he consistently demonstrated remarkable selflessness. "Furthermore, from the time I was appointed governor in the land of Judah—from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor... Even though the previous governors, who were over the people, had exacted from them food and wine worth forty shekels of silver, and even their assistants had lorded it over the people, but I did not do so, because of the fear of God." He shared his table with many others and explicitly refused to take advantage of his powerful position, choosing to serve rather than exploit.
C. Paul (Acts 20:24, 34-35; Philippians 2:17): The Apostle Paul, a true servant of Christ, lived a life poured out for others. He declared in Acts 20:24: "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace." He worked with his own hands to support himself and others (Acts 20:34-35), and even in the face of death, he saw himself as an offering: "But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you." (Philippians 2:17). He gave himself completely, helped others, and shared his joy, always putting the gospel and the well-being of others first.
D. Timothy (Philippians 2:19-22): Paul praises Timothy as a rare example of genuine concern for the Philippian believers. "I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I get news about you. I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone else looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel." Timothy sincerely sought the good of others, a stark contrast to the prevalent selfishness.
E. Application: These powerful examples should inspire us. They demonstrate that it is indeed possible, by God's grace, to live a life of selfless service and compassion, mirroring the very heart of Christ.
III. BIBLICAL WARNINGS ABOUT SELFISHNESS
Because selfishness is so detrimental to spiritual life and community, the Bible issues clear and repeated warnings against it.
A. Do not close your heart to the needy: This warning echoes throughout Scripture.
• Deuteronomy 15:8-9: "Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need... Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: 'The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,' and then look grudgingly at your needy fellow Israelite and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin."
• Proverbs 28:27: "Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many a curse."
• James 2:14-16: "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?"
• 1 John 3:17: "If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?" Closing our hearts to the needy is a direct contradiction to the love of God.
B. Do not desire the bread of the selfish (Proverbs 23:6): "Do not eat the food of a selfish person, do not crave their delicacies." This warns us against being enticed by the apparent generosity of those whose motives are self-serving or whose wealth is gained selfishly.
C. Do not cause your brother to stumble (Romans 14:15): "If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died." Our actions, even those we consider permissible, must be governed by love and consideration for others, not by our own selfish desires.
D. Do not please yourself (Romans 15:1-3; 1 Corinthians 10:24):
• Romans 15:1-3: "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: 'The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.'" We are called to bear with others, to build them up, and not to live for our own pleasure.
• 1 Corinthians 10:24: "No one should seek their own good, but the good of others." This is a foundational principle of Christian community.
E. Do not act out of selfishness or conceit (Philippians 2:3): This verse, the very heart of Christian living, directly calls us to humility: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." We must actively put aside this self-serving attitude to become more like Christ, who perfectly exemplified humility and self-sacrifice.
IV. RESULTS OF SELFISHNESS
The path of selfishness, while seemingly offering immediate gratification, invariably leads to destructive outcomes.
A. The selfish person makes enemies (Proverbs 11:26): "People curse the one who hoards grain, but public blessing crowns him who sells it." Those who prioritize their own gain over the well-being of the community, who hoard resources or blessings, will ultimately be despised and isolated. Selfishness isolates us, alienates us from others, and breeds resentment.
B. Selfishness can lead to murder (e.g., Cain and Ahab): As we saw with Cain and Ahab, unchecked selfishness, fueled by envy or covetousness, can escalate to the most extreme acts of violence and destruction. It corrodes the soul and can unleash unimaginable evil.
- Preaching on Pilgrim on Earth: Journeying Towards Eternal Glory
- Preaching on Failure in the Christian Life
- Preaching on Resentment Matthew 18:23-35
Conclusion
My dear friends, the message is clear: selfishness has a tragic outcome. It blinds us to the needs of others, hardens our hearts, and ultimately separates us from the very essence of God's character, which is love.
May God, in His infinite grace, help us to be humble, to be compassionate, and to be truly helpful, just as Christ Himself exemplified. He "did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45).
Let us actively resist the powerful pull of selfishness and instead, by the power of the Holy Spirit, strive to live lives poured out in love for God and for our neighbor. For it is in giving that we truly receive, and in losing our lives for Christ's sake that we truly find them.
Amen.
