“Give unto the LORD you mighty ones. Give to the LORD glory and strength. Give to the LORD the glory due His Name. Worship the LORD in the beauty of His Holiness.” Psalms 29:1-2

Selfishness

In learning to love well, my selfishness and entitlement seems to be louder than ever. I know the Lord is changing me and I pray more than ever that He would grow me quickly from my selfish attitudes, but like I mentioned, it’s louder than ever.

I notice in conversations with people at work, I want to get my opinion across instead of listening and giving my attention to them. I notice while driving, I compete for first in the lane when the lanes merge into one. There are many more examples I could share. I tell the Lord that I’m desperate for change and ask Him to remove my selfish heart and give me a heart of selfless love. But next thing I know, my pride is raging its ugly head.

“O wretched man (woman) I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God, through Jesus Christ my Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin” (Romans 7:24-25).

But God certainly doesn’t leave us hopeless. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2)!

 In the middle of my cry, He gently reminds me of these verses. We are saved by grace and not by works. He puts the desire to be like Himself—selfless—in our hearts and works in us by the Spirit to weed out the selfish, unloving, attitudes and change us little by little into His likeness.

Halleluiah! I can only give Him the glory due His Name. He has freed us from condemnation and loves us unconditionally.

I know I will always be battling the flesh as long as I’m in this body, but there is great hope and joy knowing that as I trust my Lord, He is working these things together for my good and His glory. I want to represent Him well. This brings out the humility to eat my words and listen more with my co-workers, and to practice patience, preferring others before myself. Baby step by baby step, He is changing this heart of selfish hardness into a heart of love for Him and others—causing me to give to the LORD the glory due His Name and worshipping the LORD in the beauty of His Holiness. There’s no better place to be!!

It is a process for us all. He is loving us very well, and by His Love changing us to love Him and others well!

“Thank you, LORD! Your unconditional love never stops, and is working in us for Your glory and our good! We love you, Jesus, because You first loved us! Amen.”