Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." "This is the first and great commandment." "And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Question, how can you keep the greatest two commandments of God listed in the scriptures above if you're always thinking about yourself?
The answer is you can't!
According to these verses you should be thinking about how to please and serve God all of the time and this includes splitting the time you think about pleasing yourself with thinking about and pleasing other people, which is also the second greatest commandment.
Some "Christians" have fallen for the idea that when the Bible says that the second greatest commandment is, "Love your neighbor as yourself.", it means that before you can keep this commandment, you must learn to love yourself.
This is not so, the real intent of the Scripture, then, is that, since you already love yourself, your love for your neighbor should be at least equal to this.
Imagine if you spent less time thinking about what you will eat, how you will pay bills, what you will put on, and things of this nature.
You would then have more time to think about serving God and helping others in conjunction with the tasks you already do for yourself everyday.
Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
The Bible also teaches that one should keep a humble opinion of himself. In Romans 12:3, Paul wrote, "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought." and in Philippians 2:3, "...in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself."
God obviously doesn't like proud boasters and people who seek to build themselves up at the expense of others.
Therefore when you do good things for other people do not do it out of pressure or for you own personal gain but without thinking about yourself point out the good qualities of that person instead of comparing their qualities to yours.
Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves.
Jesus said "deny yourself" in which I take to mean deny yourself of the pleasures of this world that are sin in order to live Holy.
It could also mean to refuse to believe in or accept your own ability to live a good life without Jesus and to give everything to God to take care of, which would be the appropriate way to live.
Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
In conclusion if you want to be on the side of God by not being selfish its important to keep your mind off of your problems (Ph. 4:8-9). Equally consider the needs of others with your own needs (Mt.22:39) Take no thought for your life. (Mt. 6:25) Esteem others better than yourself. (Ph. 2:3) And to deny yourself by not giving in to the pleasures of sin. (Mt.16:24).
David Hopkins is a "Christian Article Writer" who specializes in helping people remember to glorify God in everything that they do, so they don't miss out on any of His wonderful blessings.
Visit daily word of god group to read additional articles and to sign-up for a free newsletter to learn everything you need to know about why you should be putting God #1 in your life.
best value cleaning service Deerfield ...The Orisha are the Messengers of Oludumare, the God/dess of... Read More
Action dakini gets everything done. When wanting and grasping hold... Read More
As Christians, we know we need God in every aspect... Read More
There's a lot of talk about angels these days. They're... Read More
Life is just a journey. Princess DianaWhether we are... Read More
"What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is... Read More
forgiveness stories quotes definition and loveForgiveness is that quality in... Read More
One of the first things you will find that God... Read More
The more that "little me" allows surrender the more is... Read More
Spiritual stuff is a hard sell Roy and one of... Read More
We are living in highly challenged times. Our mass consciousness... Read More
If we don't behave according to a specific church's doctrine,... Read More
In the responsibility we have as Christians, we are displayed... Read More
A lot of times when I am reading people on... Read More
Would you like an exciting and wonder-full resolution for the... Read More
Anyone who tells you that the path to self-actualization is... Read More
The Apocalypse, or unveilling, is the name given to the... Read More
A year ago, a beautiful woman came to see me.... Read More
Excerpt from The Journey That Never Was: a guide to... Read More
There are many contradictions in life and none more easily... Read More
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.... Read More
You know that the Bible tells us a lot about... Read More
Did you ever get a feeling or gain notion of... Read More
When we ask ourselves the question who am I in... Read More
Who is God? This question would sound awkward to 80%... Read More
monthly home cleaning Mundelein ...In your quest for enlightenment, always ask what's in it... Read More
There is so much going on in the world around... Read More
Many of our great religions hold that numbers contain hidden... Read More
Everyone is busy nowadays. It's hard to find time for... Read More
We are apart of all that is, our consciousness spring... Read More
If you would like to learn to read tarot cards,... Read More
A lot of times when I am reading people on... Read More
The question, "Is God Dead?", first entered my consciousness when... Read More
"Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught... Read More
'Jesus answered, are there not twelve hours in a day?... Read More
In Corrogue the air is chill and the frost is... Read More
Most of us have heard talk or have read something... Read More
The Key to True Love...Do you long for love?Most of... Read More
The essence of the Christian faith is the good news... Read More
"You have not handed me over to the enemy but... Read More
The magic of the tarot was obvious to me the... Read More
Today is the day that I'm getting back into exercise.... Read More
It would be nice if the planet - like so... Read More
I have a big mouth. If you have read my... Read More
One of the first issues people on the spiritual path... Read More
"Spirit is beyond the void of space. This realm, beyond... Read More
Good morning Roy, good morning Joseth. (Channelled)From time to time... Read More
Several months ago, I read an... Read More
... Read More
Connect with Your GodDo you at times, feel fearful, depressed,... Read More
Spirituality |