Dying to Self: A Christian Perspective on Combating Selfishness

Transforming Self-Centeredness into Christ-Centeredness

Selfishness is a real problem for the human race. It is defined as excessive concern for one’s own interest, welfare, or pleasure, often at the expense of others. Personal gain over the needs and feelings of others sums up selfishness.

Selfishness is focusing on oneself to the exclusion of others. It is self-centered, self-interested, egoistic, and greedy.

This quote by Oscar Wilde might sum it up well.

Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live; it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.

Recognizing Selfishness

1. Is your first or one of your significant considerations how it affects or inconveniences you?

2. Do you consider how it might impact others?

3. Do you interrupt and seek to dominate conversations?

4. Are you unwilling to share, to be generous?

5. Do you make decisions with only your perspective in mind?

6. Are you concerned more about what you are getting than what you are giving?

7. Do you tend to use your relationships for what you can gain?

Dying to Self

Believers want to die to self. We do not wish to live in selfishness, self-promotion, self-glorification, or self-centeredness. Belonging to Jesus fundamentally changes our spiritual DNA. We want to be different to be like Christ. For: Living for Christ and others is our desire. We see our selfishness and hate it.

In our old way of living, it was all about our needs and desires, and we were very little concerned about others. Now, things have changed.

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:1–4.

We now seek the things that are above. We focus our hearts on God and His will. We no longer live our lives; Christ lives in us. So, how do we overcome selfishness in our lives?

1. We start by watching ourselves and recognizing what we are doing. Consider your actions to see if they are Christ-centered or self-centered.

2. We think from the perspective of the other person. How will it affect them? How will they feel about it?

3. We look for ways to help, even when no one has asked. We seek to serve.

4. we genuinely intentionally listen to people without preparing to respond or react to what we are hearing

5. we practice gratitude and look for all the blessings we are thankful for

6. We look for the win-win, not the win-lose relationship

7. We enter a relationship seeking to give, not get or take

Interesting Quotes

Selfishness is a very little world inhabited by one man. Anonymous

‌Selfishness tarnishes everything it touches. Anonymous

‌The essence of sin is selfishness. Warren W. Wiersbe

‌Love always enlarges and enriches, while selfishness does just the opposite. Warren W. Wiersbe

‌Very often in times of deep confusion, pain, selfishness, and anger, we do things that hurt others far more than we can imagine. Jay Kesler

He who lives only to benefit himself confers a benefit on the world when he dies. Tertullian

Competitiveness is basically an expression of selfishness. Jerry Bridges

‌Love always enlarges and enriches, while selfishness does just the opposite. Warren W. Wiersbe

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