8/9/2019 Issues SelfInterest
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Issues
Self Interest
Philippians 2:4,21 Each of you should look not only to your own
interests, but also tothe interests of others. For everyone looks
out for his own interests, not those of Jesus
Christ.Those verses written by Paul almost two thousand years
ago still resonate loudly today.
In our culture, particularly in the west, selfish individualism
is endemic and rife. I can
do what I want, when I want, because I am right and always
right. Me, me, me,people cry through their actions and attitudes!
Where material possessions take
precedence and the desire for more is ever evident throughout
all aspects of life. Theinterest of others is placed at the bottom
of the pile people are placed belowpossessions. These are
twenty-first century gods and idols. The god of the
twenty-firstcentury is self-interest and humanity bows to this god
quite willingly, because it offers
no threat. At its very source is pride! Their actions and
attitude proudly proclaims I amfirst, and everyone else is last. As
Christians, what should our reaction be to thisaspect of our
culture? as Christians living within this societal culture, how are
we and theChurch to respond?
Story of the Rich Young Ruler
Within the Gospels, there is the story told of Jesus encounter
with a man runs up toJesus and falls on his knees before him.
Matthew 19v16-26 describes him as a youngman. Mark 10v17-22 he is
simply a man and in Luke 18v18-27, he is described as a
wealthy ruler. Put altogether, that makes him a rich young
ruler. This man wantseternal life, wants it now and so asks Jesus
about how to get it. This young man hadfully kept the commandments
listed by Jesus. However when Jesus said to the young
ruler that in order to follow Him, he would have to give up all
his wealth and possessionsin order to have treasure in heaven and
eternal life, the man left disconsolate. His lifereflected is
absorption with self and his self-interest.
That was a step too far for the rich young ruler. He wanted his
riches and also
everlasting life but Jesus said he couldnt have both. He remains
the only man who leftJesus presence sorrowful, and that due to
putting his trust in his riches and wealthalone. Now riches are not
necessarily wrong but they do make trusting fully in God very
difficult (Mark 10v23). One of his primary problems was that he
was not content withwhat he had materially. He always wanted more
and possessions were more importantto him than people. He was not
willing to make the sacrifice required to follow Jesus.This
attitude is endemic throughout our society, and sadly in some
sections of thechurch, but what is the counter-cultural response
that Christians and the Church shouldbe making
Contentment
Paul commands Christian Disciples to be content with godliness
(1 Timothy 6). Bycombining contentedness with godliness, Paul means
not being worried about anything,because Jesus Christ is to be your
sufficiency. Paul says this, because we came into this
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world with nothing, and we will leave this world with nothing.
The bare necessities forcontentment of life are food, clothing
& shelter. However, we could in the twenty-first
century, with some justification say that some other things are
also necessary. Forexample, cars, books and computers may well be a
necessity. That is up to our ownindividual consciences. But what we
need to do, when considering purchasing things is,not to so much to
ask Can I afford it? but rather Can I justify it, and could the
money
be better used elsewhere? Further on in 1 Timothy 6, Paul states
that we are not todesire riches, lest we fall into the temptation
of coveting and wander away from faith ofGod (vv9-10) as well as
not to love money because it is a source of all kinds of evil.Every
day, Christians pray that God would not lead them into temptation;
and you knowwhat, He does not need to, because they do that quite
easily enough by themselves.And those that are rich are not to
flaunt it arrogantly and are certainly not to place theirhopes in
them (v17). Those who are rich are commanded to be also rich in
good deeds,
to be generous and sharing (v18), building up heavenly treasure
instead of earthlyrubbish (v19). I should hasten to add, that
contentment should also carry with it, theidea of living simply, in
sympathy and solidarity with the poor of the world. Every one ofus
could to some degree, live that little bit more simply. That is
contentment with
godliness.
The contented person of humility says, God is first, others are
second, and I come last
and puts people before possessions. They have placed their total
trust in God alone, andnot in their material possessions. It so
easy to fall into the trap of saying If only I hadthat new
computer, camera, a new car or an easier job with more money? It is
so easyto say these things, and forget to be content with what we
have. And it is even easier to
forget to say thank-you to God for giving us all our good
things. We hardly ever thankhim, for friends and all the material
blessings He does provide and the pleasure we gainfrom what He
gives us. A key question to ask ourselves when seeking
biblicalcontentment is: Could I really thank my Lord for this
particular item I want?
By showing we are content, whether because we have much or
because we have little,
we reflect a difference to a world, which is all about gaining
more and more things. In aculture, where the order is: myself first
and others last. As Christians we are to becounter-cultural and put
God first, others second and ourselves last. By being contentwith
what we have, we reflect that we are comfortable with what we
have.
The culture around us needs to see Christians living with
contentment that only comesthrough trusting actively in Jesus
Christ. This contentment is expressed by placing theinterests of
others first and above self-interest. Placing people before
possessions is
contentment displayed. They need to see Christians sacrificially
loving each other, whichis the outcome of being content. They need
to see Christians and the Church beingloving, caring,
compassionate, kind and putting people ahead of material objects.
Ifpeople see Christians that are not doing those things, rightly or
wrongly, the whole
Church is branded as a bunch of fakes and hypocrites. Worse
still, God is seen, at best,as nothing more than a distant,
uncaring and increasingly irrelevant myth.
People should be seeing Gods love, through your love and godly
contentedness. For as
Jesus said, All people will know that you are my disciples if
you have love one foranother (John 13:35). We are commanded to
love, regardless of what or who the otherperson is or does. Godly
contentment, which is humility in action, is part of
unconditional love in action unabandoned love for God, and
unconditional love forothers. Too often, even within the Church and
the lives of professing Christians,financial profit, the seeking of
possessions and pleasure and wanton greed takes priorityover people
any people. When that occurs, that means the Church has
compromised.
They are no better than that rich young ruler who left Jesus
presence because thedemands were too great. Dont be like that rich
young ruler, but rather seek to emulateJesus Christ, who was the
most content person ever to have lived. We are commanded
to be in the world but not of the world. We can do this by
exhibiting contentedness in
