"I am so selfish!"

Last weekend, our youth group went on a SPLENDID winter ski retreat!  We brought along a speaker to challenge us in the Word. He would emphasize what I've been working on lately...God's timing is perfect.
We were studying passages from 1 Peter, and over and over, the point was: Love others sacrificially and unselfishly.
In light of eternity, selfishness is a waste of time. It is an inaccurate reflection of the One I am trying to emulate.  It is an evidence of an immature Christian. It is a disobedience to the command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
And yet...over the past couple weeks, the Spirit has been illuminating my motives, my thoughts, my desires, and I don't often like what I see.
Do I serve in order to bless others, or so that people will think I am such a servant?
Do I serve through His strength and for His glory, or for my own recognition?
Do I really, really care that much about other's welfare, or is it all about number 1?
Do I have a sacrificial love for those around me, so that my own interests don't really matter in the pursuit of blessing others for HIS NAME'S SAKE?

Then this morning I read Luke 14, and Jesus emphasized these two points: "He who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" and "Bless those who CANNOT repay you, and your reward will be eternal."

Looking to the eternal, following in the footsteps of Jesus, means denying self, death to my selfish desires. I long to be able to say, "I didn't even think of myself. This was all about bringing glory to God."

May God continue to change me and destroy anything in my life that sets itself up against Him. He is the One to whom I owe my soul, my life, my all, my everything.






FYI: This is my 100th blogpost! Praise the Lord!