Self-Serving

How are the decisions we make impacting those around us? Jesus said that we should seek to love others as we would love ourselves (Mt.22:39). Nothing could be more central to that command than for us to spend more time considering how our plans, actions, and words will either help or hurt the people in our circle of influence.

As Christians we no longer “live to ourselves” (Rom.14:7)—or at least we shouldn’t. God’s will for us is to see our lives as instruments of Christ to build up and positively enhance the well-being of the people in our lives. Having been called to no longer simply look out for our own interests, but also for the interests of others (Phil.2:4), we should be driven to carefully ponder how pursuing our desires in that purchase, this move, or that meeting is going to affect and benefit others.

The world will continue to tell us to “Look out for number one!” I’m all for that—as long as we remember that we’re not number one! Christ is. And he has directed us to look out for the interests of the people with whom he has sovereignly surrounded us. Yes, every day we will make decisions for our own good, but they should all be evaluated with a willingness to modify them or even abandon them as we prayerfully consider their impact on others.