Choices And What Influences Them: The Case Of A Selfless Person.
Philippians 1
KJV
23+ For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: 24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
Life is filled with choices, decisions, consequences etc, each day or hour we are called upon to make a choice or a decision. Some of which may conflict with what we wish for ourselves but for the sake of others we act in ways that will inure to their good.
What is it that influences such decisions and how do we call persons who make such choices?
Paul found himself in one such situation which is what you’ve read above. He opted for that which will inure to the good of his followers. This is the hallmark of a selfless person.
A selfless person is among other things is someone who puts others’ interests, convenience, etc above his own. Read the following as examples;
Say I have a bottle of water to drink but seeing that you are thirstier than l am, I choose to offer you the water. Not because I am not thirsty, you saw that I am.
Again I had GHC 5,000 to use in settling a debt which is due in two weeks, it is a mandatory payment l must honour; yet you approached me with an urgent request. Your child is in admission and needs a life-saving medication.
I have a debt to settle failure of which will bring me public disgrace as my name will be blacklisted and published in the dailies. Yet I gave the money to you.
This is the hallmark of a selfless person. Someone willing to endure humiliation to save a life! Do you know that is what Jesus meant in practical terms the oft-quoted scripture
John 15
KJV
13+ Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Let us look at the scenarios I painted in the examples above to see how they respond to Jesus’ statement!
Water is life any reduction in the level in our bodies is called dehydration which poses a threat to life if not corrected early. So in giving away my water, I laid down my life for my friend who received and drank it.
Doesn’t this answer to Jesus’ statement?
Scenario two, I gave out money I should have used to settle a mandatory debt, consequences of which are public disgrace and humiliation Yes, but I did this to save a life.
Now you know what it means to be selfless. If we make a choice that ends up in helping someone out of a predicament at a cost to us, this makes us selfless and pleases God.
Beloved this is not something you and I cannot do; some do it almost every day! You are one, if you care to know the last time you offered me a lift even though you were not going my direction.
The last time you made me that tea using the last milk and teabag which you were going to use for yourself. ( This reminds me of the widow of Zarephath )
The last time you saw me off with money you had intended to use for a pressing need, to buy fuel to take me home. Hardly did you know that you were laying down your life for my good.!
In doing these you are fulfilling what both Jesus and john said. Read that of John
1 John 3:16
NIV
[16] This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
( You read my article titled “ I want to know what love is!)
To Paul, this is what it means to walk in love. ;
Ephesians 5
KJV
2+ And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
If Jesus did these for our sakes, we also ought to do the same to ourselves ;
John 13
KJV
14+ If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
Be selfless, in making choices, factor in how the choice will inure to the good of others. There is so much selfishness parading as success in our midst. This is very subtle and is not easily discerned.
A word to the wise!