Bat Cave : Selfishness

Selfishness

Human beings are flat out selfish. Don't argue with me on this because you will just be proving my point. And yes I know what an argument is remember I spent thirteen years at a call center dealing with people arguing about everything under the sun. Had a few with my wife as well.

Let's get to the root problem and that is selfishness. We want our own way in any argument and most of the time we may not be wrong or right. We need to shut up and calm down. In James 4:1-3 the apostle gets right down to the nitty gritty. "What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don't they come from the evil desires that war within you? You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don't get it because your motives are all wrong---you only want what will give you pleasure." If you still want to argue and tell me humans aren't selfish let me direct your attention to a baby. Why a baby? Cute, innocent, sweet right? Take anything away from that kid and their world is on the verge of imploding. Arguing is selfish. You as a person are trying to A. Get your way, B. Convince party number two you're right, C. Win the argument at all cost. When you read in Galatians 5:19-21 it lists the desires of your sinful nature. Here's a few listed that end up in an argument that proves what I'm saying about it being selfish. "Quarreling, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division". I pray a lot about the communication between my wife and I because we're stubborn, headstrong, selfish and are a work in progress. Christians are supposed to exhibit the fruit of the spirit and we don't always get it right. What do we need to show? Galatians 5:22-23 "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. There is no law against these things."

Like i said we get it all wrong more than we get it right. I've been asking God to make me less selfish and argumentative because I don't like the person I am. The apostle Paul didn't either. Romans 7:21-25 is as loud as dropping the toilet seat in the middle of the night while everyone in the house is sleeping! "I have discovered this principle of life--- that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: in my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin."

So we're going to fail we're going to be selfish and argumentative. We can seek forgiveness from God and the other party. But you're here for hope and there is some. Even though we're going to fall and there is forgiveness "each night begins a new day." Lamentations 3:22-27 "The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my inheritance; therefore I will hope in him!' The Lord is good to those who depend on him to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord. And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of his discipline."

Sandi Patti - Hand On My Shoulder