Tuesday "Selfishness vs. Joy"

Mark 12:28 "One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

I have always heard it said "It is far better to give, then to receive." When I was younger this was certainly NOT the case. I looked forward to Christmas and my birthday because I knew that was the time when I definitely received. I counted down the days till "present day" and ripped open my gifts with selfish adolescent glee.

As I got older, I began to appreciate the idea of giving gifts to others. Sure, opening a gift every now and then was fun, but I took greater pleasure from watching faces as they unwrapped something that I spent time trying to find especially for them. Giving became more fun than receiving. I had matured...become a little wiser... or maybe I had unlocked the difference between happiness and joy.

Giving to others brings us joy. When we give our time, talents, or resources so that others can benefit, we get the satisfaction of knowing that we are becoming more Christ-like. God blesses us with an inner joy that no person or situation can rob us of. Selfishness, on the other hand, only brings temporary happiness. We get...we want more. We want more...we don't appreciate what we have. We don't appreciate what we have...we stress. We stress...we suffer. Selfishness leads to suffering... everytime.

Last weekend, Pastor Troy said that the happiest people at Flamingo Road Church are those that are serving others. He's absolutely right. Want joy? Start getting your satisfaction from putting others first.... let God bless you with the joy that you seek.

Write it Down: Today in your journal, make a list of 5 things that you can do to be less selfish. Pray and ask God to show you ways to put others first today.

See you tomorrow,
Pastor Brian

Monday - "Selfishness"

Greetings Internet Campus,

Hebrews 13:4 (ESV) 4 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

   This week we are going to look at marriage...what are some of those things that can "stain" or taint the purity of your marriage....

Today, we're going to look at one of the marriage-killers...selfishness.  Me first.  My feelings matter.  I need to be fulfilled.   You aren't taking care of MY needs....me me me me me....

I remember when I was in the Boy Scouts.  I was given the assignment to row a cub scout across the lake in a canoe.  We both entered the boat and I started to paddle.  I used every bit of muscle that I had...I pushed...I grunted....I pulled....we weren't getting very far.  In fact, we were going backwards.  Why?  The little cub scout in the back was paddling the wrong direction.  Selfishness is a lot like that.  No matter how hard one spouse tries to pull the marriage forward....the selfish person is pushing it the other way.  The way THEY want it to go.  

Sound familiar?  Hopefully not.  Selfishness is a not-so-silent stumbling block in a lot of relationships.  Sexually, it causes resentment.  Emotionally, it brings secret bitterness.  Selfishness is one of those marriage stresses that will never relent on it's own...why?  Because it can never be fulfilled.   Selfish people are never satisfied.  How much is enough?  Just one more.  Now let's bring that into the marriage bed...

If you are a selfish spouse...you control your sex life.  You make all the big decisions.  You control the money.  You pout when you don't get your way.  You take the bed...they go to the couch.  You don't compromise.  You manipulate to get your way.  

That isn't you is it?  Your marriage will never be what it can be if one of you is selfish.  You may need to read that again.  It's true.  You need to pull in the same direction...have the same goals...

overcome the negative effects of selfishness...How?

Live for each other.  Share in decisions.  Be the partners that God created you to be.  

Communicate.  You might hear that word a few times this week.  It is the main gear in the marital machine.

Write it Down:  Why have some couples replaced commitment with selfishness?  Write down 3 qualities of a selfish marriage... pray that God protects your marriage from this.

See you tomorrow!

Pastor Brian