It’s Not About You

By Joe Chesser

    We live in a society that basically believes, “It’s all about me.” Almost every message that advertisers use promotes “me.” Check them out and see if I’m right. Pamper yourself. Please yourself. Protect yourself.
    No wonder so many marriages are breaking up. No wonder so many people are having a difficult time at work. No wonder there’s so much crime and overcrowded prisons. No wonder there’s so much mud-slinging in politics. No wonder there’s so much road rage. No wonder children are so difficult to control. No wonder there are so many lawsuits. No wonder there are so many people crying that their rights have been violated. No wonder there are so many churches being split.
    One of God’s irrefutable laws says that whatever you sow, you reap. We are seeing the vivid results of sowing the seeds of self-centeredness, and it’s not pretty.
    However, God’s law of sowing and reaping works both ways. If we actively sow seeds of selflessness and service to others we will definitely reap a different harvest. What we see in Jesus, and what actually cost Him is life, is that God is not happy with self-centeredness in any realm of human existence: not in the home, not in the workplace, not in the church. So, Jesus repeatedly taught us that Christianity is not about “me,” it’s about others.
    The greatest command is to love God (not self).  Mark 12:29-30
    The next greatest is to love our neighbors (not self)   Mark 12:31
    We are to die to ourselves Luke 9:23
    We are to bless those who persecute us Romans 12:14
    We are to do nothing out of selfish ambition    Philippians 2:3
    We are to consider others better than ourselves Philippians 2:3
    As much as we are bombarded by advertisers, politicians, educators, and even clergy to “look out for #1,” it will be difficult to believe and practice the teachings of Jesus that it’s “not about you.” But we must.
    Yet, here’s the blessing. When we do things the way Jesus teaches, we learn that putting others first is the best thing we can do for ourselves!

- Joe Chesser preaches for the Fruitland Church of Christ, Fruitland, MO.  He may be contacted at joeandareva@yahoo.com