Self part 3
Selfless vs selfish. The difference between the New Man and the old man. The difference, really, between life and death. Because to live is to love and to love is to live. And love is giving. Giving everything you are and everything you have. Laying your life down for your friends. And destroying your enemies by MAKING them your friends. That's what it means to be selfless. Esteeming others higher than yourself. Doing for others. Living out of your abundance by seeing a need and meeting it. Taking care of people. Helping people. And I'm telling you, as cynical and jaded as we all seem to be these days... even a little help goes a LONG way. I can remember times in my life when I needed help pretty clearly. Because I don't like needing help. I'd prefer to be able to just take care of business. No fuss, no mess, no needing to rely on people. But that's not how life works. Because life is messy. Its not good for man to be alone, because we CAN'T do it all ourselves. None of us can. But the thing I remember so clearly about needing help--I remember it both ways. I remember the times I didn't get the help I needed. And that's so hard. Once you've reached a hand out and gotten it slapped away its really hard to keep reaching it out. Embarassment. Hurt. Confusion. Just a few of the emotions we feel when we don't get the help we need. But, on the other hand, its so powerful (remember the last Rant series about Strength?) when someone DOES swoop in and save the day. Relieved. Happy. Loved. Its a great feeling. I think its true that love is spelled t-i-m-e, because giving someone your time is about the best way I can think of to show them you love them. Time is one thing you'll never get back. That's why I try to spend as much of it as possible with my kid--because I love him. And because I know these times we DO have to share together won't last forever. Its precious. And when you go out of your way--giving your time and effort to someone--to help them when they've just about given up? That's like above and beyond. Supernatural. God's super on our natural. Because we don't do anything--selfless OR selfish--of our own selves. It all flows from what we believe. Either way, Christ's love controls us. Either we think we don't have it and we want to get it... or we know that we do have it and we give it away. Selfless vs selfish. Giving vs getting. Love is giving. Love is selfless. Thinking about others. See, being humble isn't about thinking less of yourself. Its simply thinking about yourself less. Its not putting yourself down. Its lifting others up. And not worrying about yourself. I know I hit this idea a lot, but here it is again: If I look out for you and you look out for me, neither one of us has to look out for ourselves. And while I spent today talking about receiving (or not receiving) the help we need... even more powerful is giving others the help THEY need. That's why one of my mottos is, "I've got your back." Its so powerful. Its, truly, the only way to live. Giving people what they need. And not worrying about what you have. Trusting that we don't have to do it ourselves. Because its the power of God (LOVE) working in us!