A spiritual journey from selfishness to selflessness

By Jim Boesch

People wishing to make this journey embark on a mission of seeking and discerning who they are and whose they are, as opposed to what they are in this life.

When they seek to make this journey, God will provide the direction.

Selfishness is understood as caring only for one's own interests, benefits, and welfare, regardless of others; Selflessness is having primary concern with the needs and wishes of others.

Selflessness is not about thinking less of yourself; it’s about thinking more of others.

In 2 Timothy 3: 1-4 Paul speaks to selfishness by saying “But mark this, there will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.”

Conversely in Luke 6:35, Jesus speaks of selflessness when he asks us to “love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. If you do, you will have a great reward.”

Only by following the direction of the Holy Spirit will we be able to make this transition from a “me-first attitude” to seeking to serve God and others.

We are called to answer God’s call to works of mercy through compassion and justice, our ability to respond is dependent upon our degree of selflessness.

Jim Boesch, a certified men’s ministry specialist and deployed staff member

General Commission on UM Men

jimboesch68@gmail.com