BBD 04.04.16 Selfishness - The Human Default Setting (New)
Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>
Since June 8th 1998, this
is the 1709th
Burning Bush Devotional
4 April 2016
Selfishness –
The Human Default Setting
Let nothing be
done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let
each esteem others better than himself. – Philippians 2:3 NKJV.
The Message puts Philippians 2:3 as: If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if
his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the
Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with
each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to
the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help
others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget
yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.
Last week, a plane flying from Hawaii to
Japan had a problem passenger onboard and was forced to turn around. A
72-year-old man did not want to sit in his seat while his wife and others were
eating. So, he went to the galley in the back of the plane and began doing
yoga. The crew ordered him to stop and to return to his seat, he refused.
Marines onboard the plane, were able to escort the South Korean, Hyongtae Pae
back to his seat, although Pae did violently resist by trying to bite them. Pae
has been charged with “Interfering with
the crew of an aircraft” and he was released after posting a $25,000 bond.
An FBI Spokesman Tom Simon says, “While yoga and meditation can be beneficial activities,
it doesn't negate the need to obey flight crew instructions while in the air.”
(AP 03.30.16; Reuters 03.31.16; CNN 03.31.16)
It does appear that Hyongtae Pae has
some mental issues, but this is an example of what some will do to have their
own way. Pae did not care what those in authority wanted him to do, and he did
not care what his own wife wanted him to do. He did not care that he was
violating the law, he knew what he wanted and he was going to do it, regardless
of the consequences. Well there are some consequences in Pae’s situation, and
he could even be incarcerated for a substantial period of time, although that
is unlikely.
I did a Google search this morning
for “getting your way” and was
surprised to find 334,000 results for the search. At the very top of the list
of search results was: “The Little Green Book of
Getting Your Way: How to Speak, Write, Present, Persuade, Influence, and Sell
Your Point of View to Others.” Then Monster dot com has the article “Five Tips for Getting Your Way Without
Authority.” And there is even a song “Getting
Your Way” by the English rock band, Mansun, and here are a few of the
lyrics: “So proud
when you get up and dance, Move centre on stage, Make sure that everybody can
see, Exposure's maximum, Subconsciously, When you know that you are sitting on,
Top of the tree.”
Getting your
own way is the default setting for us human beings. Our natural nature is one
of selfishness, looking out for number one: me, my, myself, before anyone or
anything else. To change the default setting from selfishness to humility we
must do this: “…put to
death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion,
evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the
wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves
once walked when you lived in them (Colossians 3:5-7 NKJV).” But how do we do this? We must do what we
are told here in Colossians 3:1-2: “If then you were
raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting
at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above,
not on things on the earth.”
Copyright © 2016. Ed Wrather. The
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