Lord, Make Me Selfless
 

"Ambition is like love, impatient both of delays and rivals." - John Denham 
 

 

Mark 9:35 says - "And He sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all." 
                                                                                                                

Think back on a time when there was a delay in your plans, or when there was someone stealing your limelight. How did you feel at this time? Did you have peace? Or were you agitated? Did you find yourself reacting in the Spirit or in the flesh?
 

                                                                                                                                                               

T.S. Eliot said - "Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important." How true this statement is! 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Just think of all the problems on the job, in the home, in a marriage, in relationships, in the choir, in the Church orchestra, on the deacon board, etc. that are caused simply because someone wants the preeminence. We have such statements in our vocabulary such as - "It's a dog-eat-dog world" precisely because our world is filled with people who want to be important - important; that is, at the expense of others. 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

The disciples were no different than what we find ourselves today in this day and age. Here was Jesus - heavyhearted because of His upcoming crucifixion for the sins of mankind - and the disciples could only concern themselves with the issue of who is the greatest among them.

                                                                                                     

How insensitive can you be? Surely they could see that He was sorrowing and troubled in His spirit. 
Actually, they took no notice of Him at this time. They were too preoccupied with themselves.

                                                                                                                         

Were they also hurting and grieved? No! Not  at all! They were so obsessed with the burning and striving desire to be #1 that they were totally blinded to the emotional condition of their own Master and Best Friend. 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

I wonder how many times we have been so preoccupied with ourselves - how we appeared in people's eyes or sounded in a conversation...whether we were accepted by others or not...got the last word in...others noticed our wealth, intelligence, or many talents and gifts, etc. - that we missed the greatest opportunity sent by God to minister to someone in need.

                                                                                                                              

If we are not careful, we can become spiritually blinded, whereby we cannot see dying or hurting humanity all around us because we are consumed with being the first and the foremost of all.
 

                                                                                                                        

How many ministries are totally missing out with God for this very reason - they are so obsessed with building a kingdom for themselves that they fail to build His Kingdom and reach the multitudes for Christ? 
 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

T.S. Eliot attributed most problems in our life to the selfish desire to be important.

                                                                                                                                            

The Lord Jesus said it this way - "...If any man desire to be first..."

He did not deny the fact that we would have this desire. And, frankly, in certain situations, it is not wrong to want to be first - as in competitive sports, etc. However, in our everyday relationships with each other,  He gave us the Kingdom answer to quenching this wrong motive - If we want to be first, then we must become last of all and the servant of all.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

The Kingdom of God runs on an entirely different system than that of this world.

If we want to -

...be first, we must be last

...live, we must die

...get, we must give. 
 

                                                                                                                      

"...If any man desire to be first..." 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Do you have an obsessive desire to be the center of attention in your relationships or at your social gatherings?

                                                                                                                       

Jesus taught us the solution to this wrong motive - "...be the servant of all."
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

 From this day forward, why not make it a point of prayer to "...be the servant of all."

                                                                                                                                          

Instead of being an individual obsessed with the desire to be first, ask God to make you so selfless that you become preoccupied with the needs of others.

Then stand by and watch how He will use you.
Your life will never be the same again.