I have a huge confession.
I am a very selfish person. I may not have been able to admit this a few months ago. In fact, I probably would have claimed to be a very unselfish person.
But recently, God has opened my eyes to see the depths of my selfishness.
My selfishness isn’t always evident, because I’m pretty good at hiding it.
I don’t act like my 7-year-old, grabbing things for myself and yelling out loud, “Me first!” But I do yell it in my heart. I pout and even manipulate sometimes.
Where I am most selfish is with my time.
My work time is the biggest challenge I face right now. It constantly threatens to take over my day, and it often wins. Many other important things get swept to the side so my work can get done.
And God has opened my eyes to see that the reason for this is because I value my own priorities over those of other people in my house.
When I finally realized how deeply selfish I am, I repented.
Then I sat down and wrote out these verses and hung them in my kitchen and office area where I’d see them often and be reminded of what the Bible says about selfishness.
I don’t think I’m alone in this struggle, so I thought I’d share these verses with you, too. There isn’t a printable for this post, because I want you to sit down and hand-write out these verses for yourself.
It is very easy to print out verses, but when we write them out, they sink deeper in our heart.
14 Bible Verses for When You Are Selfish
Philippians 2:3-4—”Let nothing be done out of strife or conceit, but in humility let each esteem the other better than himself. Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-5—”Love suffers long and is kind; love envies not; love flaunts not itself and is not puffed up, does not behave itself improperly, seeks not its own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil.”
James 3:16—”For where there is envying and strife, there is confusion and every evil work.”
Proverbs 11:25—”The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will be watered also himself.”
Romans 15:1-2—”We who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak and not please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.”
1 Corinthians 10:24—”Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.”
Galatians 5:19-21—”Now the works of the flesh are revealed, which are these: adultery, sexual immorality, impurity, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousy, rage, selfishness, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I previously warned you, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Psalm 119:36—”Incline my heart unto Your testimonies, and not for unjust gain.”
Luke 9:23—”Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.'”
James 4:1-2—”Where do wars and fights among you come from? Do they not come from your lusts that war in your body? You lust and do not have, so you kill. You desire to have and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have, because you do not ask.”
1 Timothy 3:1-3—”This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the office of an overseer, he desires a good work. An overseer then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, sober, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach; not given to drunkenness, not violent, not greedy for money, but patient, not argumentative, not covetous.”
Acts 20:24—”But none of these things deter me. Nor do I count my life of value to myself, so that I may joyfully finish my course and the ministry which I have received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”
Galatians 2:20—”I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Mark 8:34—”When He had called the people to Him, with His disciples, He said to them, ‘If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.'” {eoa}
Rosilind Jukic, a Pacific Northwest native, is a missionary living in Croatia and married to her hero. Together they live with their two little boys in the country, where she enjoys fruity candles and a hot cup of herbal tea on a blustery fall evening. She holds an Associates of Practical Theology and is passionate about discipling and encouraging women. Her passion for writing led her to author a number of books. She is the author of “A Little R & R,” where she encourages women to find contentment in what God created them to be. She can also be found at these other places on a regular basis. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google +.
This article originally appeared at rosilindjukic.com.
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