The Curse of Self-Centeredness

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. – John 12:24-25

My command is this: Love ach other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. – John 15:12-14

Self-centeredness is described in the dictionary as being concerned solely with one’s desires, needs or interest. Self-centeredness is a force that drives the carnal lifestyle. The carnal and self-centered man strives as hard as he can to get everything that he can. He cans all that he gets and sits on the lid. He lives a life that is geared solely towards getting without any thought of sacrifice. He tries all that he can within his power to preserve all that he has accumulated, not understanding that unless you live a life of sacrifice you can never be fruitful. His love for his life is so intense that there is no room to give up anything to preserve the life of another. His ambitious desires have gotten so out of control that his concern is only for himself and no one else. There is no room for dependence on God – only on self.

We all have the desire and ability to strive, to be assertive, self-promoting and to focus heavily on what we want. No one is immune to the desire to get ahead. Truth be told, there is nothing wrong with ambition. But the price we are willing to pay to satisfy this human need varies from one person to another. Where self-centeredness abounds, pride is not hard to fine and the Bible tells us that pride goes before destruction. When we are successful with our ambitious plans, we glorify in self rather than in the Lord. Living a life of I, me and mine is not what Christ requires of any believer. Jesus was not thinking of Himself when He went to the Cross. He sacrificed Himself so that we can have life and have it abundantly.

Unless we get to a point in our lives when we recognize that we ought to live a life of service to others, we will truly miss our calling in this realm. Until we understand that we are called to serve and live a life of servant-hood, we will continue to live solely for self.