Selfless Love

While at work today, I became increasingly aware of human nature and the incredible selfishness of it at the core...mainly because of my own attitude and actions. God tells us to love others as much as we love ourselves (John 13:34), to look at others as more important than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). That's huge. Do you know how much we love ourselves? How much we gratify our own desires?

Drugs. Sex. Money. The general complaints of society today. It all stems from the love of self and looking out for good 'ol number 1. Do you think the BP execs were thinking of anything but themselves when they chose saving money over safety improvements that could've spared 11 lives and prevented the worst environmental crisis in U.S. history (USA Today)? Now, I'm not saying we should hang the guys because, well, I'm just as bad...You're just as bad. Whose to say one of us couldn't be getting that multi-million dollar severance package for those mistakes if in that position? Seriously. And that's just a sneak peek into the paper trail in the oil industry.

Growing up, parents pushed us to get a good education. Then use that education to get into a good college and earn a top-notch degree. The degree is supposed to beget a nice job where we work at schmoozing, deception, brown nosing, and false appearance--all to climb that ever growing ladder. For what? The Benjamin's. Isn't that how it works? As a result, we've created this hierarchy telling those at the top they can do as they please and those at the bottom that a closer eye will be kept on them because they'll likely screw up. It can be as small as the boss being able to get free food at the restaurant whenever he or she pleases but as soon as the minimum-wage employee takes a bite of free food, he or she no longer has a job. Wait, doesn't the boss make more money...Nevermind.

But see, this isn't so small. It's the same frame of thinking as the celebrity who gets 15 warnings for drunk driving when the impoverished man gets no warning and jail time for a year. We set values on the "top" dogs as exponentially higher than for those at the "bottom." Isn't it amazing that Christ says the first shall be last and the...well, you know ;) (Matthew 20:16)

Why? Why money, sex, and drugs as such large underlying issues? Self-gratification. Money can buy you things, respect, and fake love. Sex can relieve burning desires, the outermost layer of loneliness (only to usually deepen it), and fake love. Drugs can help you forget, temporarily alleviate pain, and provide a temporary escape. Isn't it fascinating that almost all people who reach the climax of these empires are left thinking, "Now what?"

Hmm.

Christ bought you from things, worldly respect, and fake love. Christ relieved you from your burning desires, all of your loneliness, and fake love. Christ helps your remember yet heal, eternally alleviate pain, and never allow you to return to it.

Love others as much as you love yourself. Think of others as more important than yourself. Wow. Imagine a world where the power of selfishness was transformed into the power of love. Maybe, just maybe, Jesus actually knew what He was talking about. Remember that the next time your tummy growls and you find yourself putting on your grumpy pants.