How much time do you spend helping others? Time spent because you want to, not because you have to?
Jesus Christ taught from Scripture that the two most important commands to obey are to have one God and to love your neighbor as yourself. And then he demonstrated these rules by the life he lived.
When you examine how much time Jesus spent helping others, it was essentially all his time. His whole life was devoted to helping others find freedom from suffering, sin and death.
Jesus did not pursue a selfish agenda. He did not focus on earning money for personal gain, on building up a material fortune or portfolio to give him bragging rights, on planning his next vacation, or retiring in material comfort. He was not driven by any matter-seeking, world-based goals. He lived the ultimate life of unselfishness, giving up everything of the earth so others could have everything of heaven. He lived to give, not to get. And he set the standard for us to follow.
Wow! What a standard. Can we do it? Is it possible?
Yes we can. It’s inevitable.
We can’t enter heaven with a single selfish bone in our body. As Jesus said, we have to give up the world and all its attractions before we’re ready for heaven.
“Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it” (Matt 10:39, NRSV).
To “lose your life,” is to lose any and all desire for material gain and success as measured by worldly standards. To “find your life,” is to discover that living the unselfish love Jesus lived and showed toward others is the route to heaven and the most important activity you could ever spend your time doing.
So, what priorities is your time allocated toward today?
Evan, please don’t post the comments sent from Anonymous about rich bashing etc. Changed my mind, don’t want to post it…thanks so much.Sounds too political and I don’t think it’s appropriate for your blog. NOT trying to get into a political see saw here. UNDERSTAND your message,
I think our country, USA, is slowly losing the idea of thinking and doing for others. There is too much stress in business in upholding beaurocratic rules regardless of the human situation. Imagine the horror that one day in the future, if we keep to this attitude, that parents will have to get permission to chastise their own children, before they do, from their Government. It’s too horrible even to contemplate.
I really connected with your comments this morning about helping others, to the exclusion of trying to focus on ourselves and what we can get, etc.
If we can learn to know ourselves and others as God knows us, then the most natural thing in the world would be to love, love, love, without any fear of giving our all to another.
I love the idea of “unselfing” love. I’ve been working a lot lately with what Jesus said; Love God first and then love your neighbor as yourself. What has stood out to me is the “love yourself” part. The kindnesses we bestow on others is connected to the kindness we show ourselves. It is a whole idea. Remember in an airplane they tell you to put the oxygen mask on yourself first and that makes you able to help another. The goal is to help yourself and others in our spiritual journey exchanging the gain of material things for spiritual substance.
OK I get this. What about what suze orman says when saving for our own retirements? That we need to take care of ourselves 1st (save for ourselves) before we are in a position to help others? How much is enuf for ourselves??
To above,
Sounds like sound wisdom to me. It is not selfish to demonstrate sound financial management of your personal affairs. And remember, it’s not your money that your neighbor needs most. But your love, care and healing prayers.
At one point I had been thinking how Jesus healed instantaneously as well as every need were supplied. The answer came in this manner that before he went out to the multitudes he first went up to the mountain to pray which we understand he fasted from sensual things and acknowledged Truth’s Allness. And also what you mentioned about him not worrying for himself enhanced sufficiency. So because he trusted in one God and just focused his concern as a ‘fisher of men’, God’s law of supply, including power, was uninterrupted every moment. What one can do is to take time to pray for one’s self and for world issues everyday. Needless to say I am still learning to trust this direction for a healthier mind activity.
I love this reminder to love God and love our neighbor as ourself. To me this means to shift the focus of any activity that we are doing to a higher level. Our work becomes an expression of God’s qualities such as intelligence, order, kindness, honesty etc. rather than a personal ego trying to compete for material gain. Our relation to those we come in contact with becomes one of helpfulness, support, patience, comfort, brotherly love, rather than indifference impatience or competition. I think the more I practice unselfishness the lighter my burdens actually feel! Its actually the best love we can give ourself!