THE WEALTH OF SELFLESSNESS

KEY TEXT: 2 Corinthians 8:9 (AMP) — “For you are recognizing [more clearly] the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [His astonishing kindness, His generosity, His gracious favor], that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich (abundantly blessed).”

This is very high-level selflessness. Imagine choosing to be poor so that someone else can be rich. This calls for one to give their all sacrificially.

As a child of God, making others rich should come first before making yourself rich. “How can I make someone else rich?” should be the question that you obsess over. That should be the question that constantly troubles your mind.

When you focus so much on how you can become rich, you will never get truly rich. But when you focus on how you can make others rich, you will become rich. Therefore, when trying to formulate a business idea, ask yourself how that idea will make others rich.

Jesus Christ gave His all to us. When someone gives away their property, they are left with nothing extra, but they still have their lives. They can do more work and get more. However, Jesus did not just give away His property. He gave His life. Not only was He left with nothing, but He was also not there to receive anything.

Jesus created the entire universe (Colossians 1:16–17, Hebrews 1:8–10, John 1:3). His life has immense power because it brought everything into existence. Imagine giving up such a life for the sake of powerless, sinful, and degraded lives.

What is it that you are still holding onto that you are afraid to give away? We have allowed ourselves to be controlled by a scarcity mindset: the belief that when we give away a part of what we have, we won’t be able to get it back. Jesus gave away His life and still got it back. In addition, He received greater honor and exaltation than before (Philippians 2:9–10).

Philippians 2:5–7 (AMP) — “⁵ Have this same attitude in yourselves which was in Christ Jesus [look to Him as your example in selfless humility], ⁶ who, although He existed in the form and unchanging essence of God [as One with Him, possessing the fullness of all the divine attributes—the entire nature of deity], did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped or asserted [as if He did not already possess it, or was afraid of losing it]; ⁷ but emptied Himself [without renouncing or diminishing His deity, but only temporarily giving up the outward expression of divine equality and His rightful dignity] by assuming the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men [He became completely human but was without sin, being fully God and fully man].”

Jesus was not afraid to lose anything. Not only did He have that attitude of not being afraid to lose it all, but He also practically lost it all by losing His life. When Satan attacked Job, Job lost it all, but he did not lose his life. Jesus lost everything, including His life.

Romans 8:32 (AMP) — “He who did not spare [even] His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?”

When God the Father gave us Jesus, He gave us the best, and He gave us everything. When Jesus gave His life for us, He gave us everything. The royal Heavenly family united to give us all that it has. If God did not spare His own Son and if the Son (Jesus) did not spare His own life, what can’t God give us? The answer is nothing. This should be our basis for asking for any good thing from God.

When we desire victory over a particular sin, we should base it on this basis. When we want a spiritual gift, we should base it on this basis. When we wish to thrive in any area of our lives, whether it is family, social, academic, or financial, we should base our prayers on this basis.

If God did not spare anything, as His children, we should be willing to spare nothing to bless our fellow brethren. As bona fide children of God, we should give as much as we can, even when it costs us our lives.

People are afraid to give because they are afraid of losing.

Proverbs 11:24 (AMP) — “²⁴ There is the one who [generously] scatters [abroad], and yet increases all the more; And there is the one who withholds what is justly due, but it results only in want and poverty. ²⁵ The generous man [is a source of blessing and] shall be prosperous and enriched, And he who waters will himself be watered [reaping the generosity he has sown]. [2 Cor 9:6–10].”

“It is God who blesses men with property, and He does this that they may be able to give toward the advancement of His cause. He sends the sunshine and the rain. He causes vegetation to flourish. He gives health and the ability to acquire means. All our blessings come from His bountiful hand. In turn, He would have men and women show their gratitude by returning Him a portion in tithes and offerings—in thank offerings, in freewill offerings, in trespass offerings. Should means flow into the treasury in accordance with this divinely appointed plan—a tenth of all the increase, and liberal offerings—there would be an abundance for the advancement of the Lord’s work.” — My Life Today, Page 333, Ellen G. White.

Every good thing comes from God. On the Sabbath day, we pause and reflect on the Lord our God as the Creator of all these good things. When we give, we acknowledge that what has been given to us does not belong to us, but it belongs to the Almighty, selfless Creator.

Giving is sowing. Generosity is planting a seed that eventually germinates into a plant that is much larger than the small seed that has been sown. One seed from a mango fruit can be used to grow a large mango plant that has many mango fruits.

When the farmer holds on tightly to that one seed and keeps it in his hands, it will remain in his hands as a seed. It will not develop into anything. However, when the farmer gives away that one seed by burying it in the ground, he loses it in that it is no longer in his hand, but it is where it is supposed to be, which is deep in the soil. For a moment, he might feel like he has lost because the seed is no longer in his hand, but later on, when the tree grows, and he enjoys the shade and the fruits, he becomes grateful for letting it go.

“Constant, self-denying benevolence is God’s remedy for the cankering sins of selfishness and covetousness. God has arranged systematic benevolence to sustain His cause and relieve the necessities of the suffering and needy. He has ordained that giving should become a habit, that it may counteract the dangerous and deceitful sin of covetousness. Continual giving starves covetousness to death… He requires the constant exercise of benevolence, that the force of habit in good works may break the force of habit in an opposite direction.” — Testimonies for the Church, Volume 3, Page 548, Ellen G. White.

If the farmer has no capacity to plant the seed, he should give it to someone else who has. It will be more profitable when he gives it to someone else than when he holds on to it. This is because when he holds on to it, it will not help him, and it will not help anyone else. Therefore, it will result in a waste of what he has.

Some people are afraid to give because they feel others won’t appreciate it. Remember, not everyone appreciated Jesus, but He still gave. Some are afraid of giving because they feel that those they are giving to are people who don’t deserve it. Remember, you didn’t deserve to have God sacrifice His own life for the bad and unworthy things that you do. It was merely by grace.

“But the hearts of men become hardened through selfishness, and like Ananias and Sapphira, they are tempted to withhold part of the price, while pretending to fulfill God’s requirements. Many spend money lavishly in self-gratification. Men and women consult their pleasure and gratify their taste, while they bring to God, almost unwillingly, a stinted offering. They forget that God will one day demand a strict account of how His goods have been used.” — The Acts of the Apostles, Page 75, Ellen G. White.

Nothing given to glorify God and bless His people goes unrewarded. The more you give, the more you get. However, you should not give with the expectation of getting. You should give with the attitude that you will still give even if you don’t get.

GOD BLESS YOU!

Prayer

Almighty Heavenly Father, thank You for the immeasurable sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Teach me to give selflessly as You have given to me. Remove fear, selfishness, and the mindset of scarcity from my heart. Fill me with the spirit of generosity and love. Help me to be a blessing to others in every area of my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Activity

Identify one person you can bless in a meaningful way today.
It could be through:

• Giving money or food
• Encouraging them with Scripture
• Helping them with a task
• Sharing a resource or opportunity
• Giving something valuable that costs you emotionally or materially

Give intentionally, joyfully, and privately, expecting nothing in return.

Let this be your continuous act of sowing a seed into God’s kingdom.

Author: Mark Alex   

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