Selflesness

By DarceyAnn Rosario

I grew up in a household with a single mother who would love and serve us children to the best of her ability. Until this day, she lives her life selflessly and makes every decision, small or big, considering others before herself. People would feel welcomed into our home with her hospitable care and her ability to go over and beyond to make people feel loved.

I saw the display of selflessness first in her as a little girl, and it got ingrained in me from a young age.

Jesus Teaches about Serving Others

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20:28 (NLT)

When I came to the Lord, I started to learn about the heart of the Father. I began to realize how much God is the ultimate display of selflessness. The act of putting others above myself began to come alive even more as I started to dive into the Word. Jesus lived a selfless and obedient life then died a selfless and obedient death. There is no greater display of love…

Scripture tells us to lay down our selfish motives, desires, interests and ultimately our entire lives for others. However, I needed to learn the hard way, that it didn’t mean to neglect your own needs.

Sometimes I found myself prioritizing the needs of others before myself, so much so that I began to lose myself in the process. There was a time in my life where I took on the burden of others to the extent where I was no longer ok. I needed people in my life to point me to a healthy way to go about caring for people, without causing self destruction. I needed to understand that I could never take on the role that only God can, even for the people I care the most for. 

Have the Attitude of Christ

“Abandon every display of selfishness. Possess a greater concern for what matters to others instead of your own interests. And consider the example that Jesus, the Anointed One, has set before us. Let his mindset become your motivation.” 

Philippians 2: 4-5 (TPT)