There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; and one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches. Proverbs 13:7
Today, we live in a self-centered society where everything revolves around selfgratification. People are pursuing things that appeal to their senses and their desire for pleasure. As long as we are focused on our own interests and our own desires, we are destined to become dissatisfied. We think that when we get everything we want, we will be happy. In fact, the opposite is true: the more we live for self, the more miserable we will be. Jesus never encouraged His followers to live for themselves. Instead He said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matt. 16:24). The Amplified Bible says it like this: “Let him disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests.” Jesus is saying that if we are going to follow Him, we will be asked to live very unselfi sh lives. We would have to learn to put the interests of others above our own.
Do you want to experience real happiness and true riches? Learn how to live to give. Jesus did, and He has always encouraged His followers to do likewise. God has a very specific plan for your life and part of that plan involves the giving of yourself to others. It’s that simple. John Bunyan said, “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who cannot pay you back.”
Make the decision that you are going to be a giver, and then look for ways to give. Don’t let the enemy deceive you into thinking that you’ll automatically become a giver after all your problems are solved. No! One of the keys to seeing God work in your life is when you start giving, even though you are still in need. If you want your dreams to come to pass, help someone else’s dream along. If you want to be happy, strive to bring happiness to others. And if you want God to prosper you, see if you might be able to prosper someone else!
Jesus said that in God’s kingdom, nothing lives until it dies. “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies,” He said, “it remains alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain” (John 12:24). Think of your life as a seed, and your selfish desires as the shell of that seed. As long as that outer shell is in place, the seed will never take root and grow. But once that outer shell is removed, the seed begins to put forth roots, eventually breaking the ground and blooming.
If you want to be blessed, get rid of that outer shell of selfishness and put your roots down deep in God. Begin each day by asking God to show you not just how you can be blessed, but how you can be a blessing to someone else.
Today, we live in a self-centered society where everything revolves around selfgratification. People are pursuing things that appeal to their senses and their desire for pleasure. As long as we are focused on our own interests and our own desires, we are destined to become dissatisfied. We think that when we get everything we want, we will be happy. In fact, the opposite is true: the more we live for self, the more miserable we will be. Jesus never encouraged His followers to live for themselves. Instead He said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matt. 16:24). The Amplified Bible says it like this: “Let him disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests.” Jesus is saying that if we are going to follow Him, we will be asked to live very unselfi sh lives. We would have to learn to put the interests of others above our own.
Do you want to experience real happiness and true riches? Learn how to live to give. Jesus did, and He has always encouraged His followers to do likewise. God has a very specific plan for your life and part of that plan involves the giving of yourself to others. It’s that simple. John Bunyan said, “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who cannot pay you back.”
Make the decision that you are going to be a giver, and then look for ways to give. Don’t let the enemy deceive you into thinking that you’ll automatically become a giver after all your problems are solved. No! One of the keys to seeing God work in your life is when you start giving, even though you are still in need. If you want your dreams to come to pass, help someone else’s dream along. If you want to be happy, strive to bring happiness to others. And if you want God to prosper you, see if you might be able to prosper someone else!
Jesus said that in God’s kingdom, nothing lives until it dies. “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies,” He said, “it remains alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain” (John 12:24). Think of your life as a seed, and your selfish desires as the shell of that seed. As long as that outer shell is in place, the seed will never take root and grow. But once that outer shell is removed, the seed begins to put forth roots, eventually breaking the ground and blooming.
If you want to be blessed, get rid of that outer shell of selfishness and put your roots down deep in God. Begin each day by asking God to show you not just how you can be blessed, but how you can be a blessing to someone else.
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