Read It, Learn It,
Live It, Share It
“But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.” – Matthew
19:30
Try to teach this principle to a 4 year old. Try to make them understand that they shouldn’t
focus on themselves but those around them.
How do you teach a young child to serve others before having that cookie
for themselves? Inherently, from the
womb, a baby is only interested in their own situation and resolving the
problems that they are experiencing; hunger, dirty diaper, fear or pain. Regardless of those around them, they want
their problem solved now, and will only get more agitated with time, if their
problem is left unresolved. As this baby
grows and begins to develop some independence, they must learn to share. They learn to share toys, food and the
attention of their parents; and in doing so, they begin to develop an
understanding that it’s not all about me.
This philosophy catches on with some, while others can’t seem to grasp
it and selfishness sets in. By an early
age they have adopted an understanding of serving others or serving themselves,
and the delicate balance between the two.
We are a competitive soul by the very nature of survival in this world. We compete at sports, school, music, cooking, work. We compare our lives to the lives of others with an envious eye and the thought runs through our mind that it’s not fair. We may not acknowledge it verbally, but the thoughts are definitely moving through our mind and heart. In doing so, we are allowing our desires to be driven by the world and in the world. Let’s be truthful for a moment. Every one of us is going to die at some point. It may be tomorrow, it may be 20 years from now or even farther, but we all end up in the same place. We all entered this world in the same manner, from the womb and we will all leave this world in the same way. We are each made to long for God and a relationship with Him. The emptiness we attempt to fulfill through material things and success at work or in school will never be satiated by worldly ideals or things. It is by design that we are competitive, but it is by choice what we choose to compete for.
Compete for a stronger relationship with God almighty. Strive to learn as much as you can about your Creator and allow yourself to fall in love with Him. The desires of your flesh begin to fade and the desire for serving Him comes to the surface. In serving Him we are filled with His love for others and the selflessness begins to take shape in your personality. Sharing his love becomes the purpose, the desire and the reason for waking in the morning. It may not make you rich or powerful in man’s eyes, but to your Creator and Redeemer you will achieve greatness. It’s your choice to be first in this world by focusing strictly on yourself and your needs selfishly or to be first in the Kingdom of God by focusing on serving Him and others on His behalf. So what will it be?
We are a competitive soul by the very nature of survival in this world. We compete at sports, school, music, cooking, work. We compare our lives to the lives of others with an envious eye and the thought runs through our mind that it’s not fair. We may not acknowledge it verbally, but the thoughts are definitely moving through our mind and heart. In doing so, we are allowing our desires to be driven by the world and in the world. Let’s be truthful for a moment. Every one of us is going to die at some point. It may be tomorrow, it may be 20 years from now or even farther, but we all end up in the same place. We all entered this world in the same manner, from the womb and we will all leave this world in the same way. We are each made to long for God and a relationship with Him. The emptiness we attempt to fulfill through material things and success at work or in school will never be satiated by worldly ideals or things. It is by design that we are competitive, but it is by choice what we choose to compete for.
Compete for a stronger relationship with God almighty. Strive to learn as much as you can about your Creator and allow yourself to fall in love with Him. The desires of your flesh begin to fade and the desire for serving Him comes to the surface. In serving Him we are filled with His love for others and the selflessness begins to take shape in your personality. Sharing his love becomes the purpose, the desire and the reason for waking in the morning. It may not make you rich or powerful in man’s eyes, but to your Creator and Redeemer you will achieve greatness. It’s your choice to be first in this world by focusing strictly on yourself and your needs selfishly or to be first in the Kingdom of God by focusing on serving Him and others on His behalf. So what will it be?
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