Sickness of Selfishness

I read a fascinating speech today that has been making the rounds. You can read it here if you so desire. I am unused to hearing graduation speeches about our humanity. In my experience those speeches say, "go do things", "go excel", and "go work". This speech was a bit different in that it basically said to go be a better person, a kinder person, a less selfish person. It said that success in work can take a long time to achieve but we can start being kinder, being less selfish, right now.

I love the selflessness that we are called to through the Gospel, yet the lack of selflessness that I often see in the Church, in Christians, is one of my biggest discouragements. I know that I myself am selfish and unkind much too often for comfort. Intellectually, we know that we are not the center of the universe, and that no one should treat us as such. But how often do we behave as though God and Christ come first, and we come second, just after them?

This is not how we are called to think. Loving others as we love ourselves means putting them first. Doing for them before we do for ourselves. It doesn't mean being a doormat, but it certainly means not being a diva. It means being a team player. It means each person plays their role and is there to pick up the slack when the others falter, supporting them and making sure they have what they need. Everything still gets done, tasks are still accomplished, but we do them together rather than at the expense of others.

Are you attempting to give up selfish things today?

Today's Verses
Philippians 2: 3-4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.