Selfishness does not pass the test

This week I challenged a few people to ask God in the morning to give them that day what they need the most. And then pay attention. From personal experience I know that He could surprise with a blessing but He could also surprise with a rebuke.

In doing this, I’m sometimes distressed at my reactions when I ask God for something I need but don't get what I want or expect. Instead of trusting him, I realize how stuck I am in wanting to run my own life.

“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?’” (Matthew 16:24–26)

Tozer says, “Affections that do not terminate on God, terminate on self. Men who do not seek the things that are Jesus Christ’s, seek their own. Inordinate self-love is the ruling passion of their hearts and the governing principle of their lives.”

Tozer is right. I remember a woman who professed to be a Christian yet she said how much she loved to help people because “it makes me feel so good.” In pondering her reasoning I realized that so much of Christian service is based on what I want or what makes me feel good or what looks good to others rather than what will glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.

One day Jesus will bring me before a throne of judgment. Christians will not be judged concerning salvation but concerning the quality of the work that they have done.

“For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:11–15)

The Bible says anything I’ve done that has no value in the will of God will be lost. This includes all those things I’ve done that are very selfish and those where I want the glory rather than bringing glory to Jesus. What shame I will feel standing before Christ watching most of the work that I've done go up and smoke because I did them for my own sake.

If anyone thinks this is easy, try going for even half a day without thinking about your own profit, or thinking, ‘what is in this for me?’ This is why we need a Savior. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. Without Him our lives miss the mark. Without Him we have no hope of pleasing God.

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Lord Jesus, I am so thankful that You are my Savior. I am so thankful that my eternal life is not based on my old self but on the basis of You and what You have done for me. I realize I've been stubborn. I've not allowed You in. I’ve not allowed You to work through me the way I should. Thank You for your mercy and grace thank You for loving me because of who You are rather than what I do. Praise your name.