Selflessness: The Biggest Challenge for Every Child of God

Some aspects of the Christian life are baffling unless, of course, you take a long look at the Savior. Take, for instance, the issue of selflessness. We live in an era where selflessness is considered by some to be a character flaw, a sign of weakness. Even “winning” is not enough these days. Crowds want to see total humiliation. Interestingly, this is not an attitude reserved for the arena. Just ask the average sales team about their goals and you’ll understand what I’m driving at.

Over against the arrogant, chest-thumping approach to life stands the Lord’s incredible example of humility. As Peter noted, He is the example of patiently doing the right thing, though suffering for it. This is the behavior, Peter reminds us, that finds favor with God (1 Peter 2:20).

I would not for one minute want us to be ignorant of who we are in Christ. In the same chapter above, Peter reminds the dispersed community of Jewish believers, working under dire circumstance in five Roman provinces, that they are living stones, a spiritual house, a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a Holy Nation, God’s own possession, the people of God and recipients of His mercy. That being the case, why should they be submissive to masters who mistreated them?

Peter is quick to answer that, in this case, patient endurance is a matter of one’s “conscience toward God” (19). In other words, selflessness becomes the means by which we turn our heart, and the hearts of others toward God. Peter then reminds us that it was through enduring the suffering brought about by our sin, not His, that Christ atoned for our sin. It is “by His wounds that you were healed,” he writes (24), wounds that that He suffered for those who were “continually straying like sheep” (25).

Jesus, then, is our example. Peter uses a word here that refers to a text, written out carefully so that a student might copy it in the space beneath, thus learning how to spell and write.

“WWJD” was a recent popular spin-off of Sheldon’s book, In His Steps. The book tells of a community radically changed by people asking “What would Jesus do?” It would be simple enough if that was all that is required here. Fortunately, Christ’s redemptive work makes it possible for us to do more that try to be like Jesus. Christ’s death and subsequent resurrection makes it possible for us to “die to sin and live to righteousness” (24). That’s the only way, we can actually be what Christ is: selfless.

I think more people would be interested in turning to Christ, if they saw that quality in our lives…or in my life, at the very least.

Rejoice evermore!

Tom Elliff

2 Tim 1:12

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