None of Self?

I have so much on my heart this morning.  I look around and see so much pain and ugliness and it breaks my heart.  If it bothers me, who is sinful and carnal, just think what it does to the heart of God.  Mr 10:18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

 Ro 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 

Ge 6:5-6 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually  And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

Why do we hurt one another?  Why don’t we give more of ourselves and think more of the needs of others?  The scriptures tell us that sin comes from love of the world.  1Jo 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  The core of these three things is self-centeredness.  We want the things that we want.  We want to do the things we want to do.  We want others to think highly of us.  “I” am at the center of all that I say and do and think.  Christ gave us the remedy for this: Mt 22:37-39  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

 Lu 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Of course, we all know this…it is the basis of Christianity.  We are to be likened unto Christ and die to our old man through repentance, be buried into Christ through baptism, and rise to walk a spiritual life in Him.  But do we REALLY  do it?  Is seeking God’s will the most important thing in our lives?  Do we care for others’ needs as much as we do for our own?  Do we LOVE others as much as we do ourselves? 

Do I ever get into an argument with someone?  What causes it?  Why do I want to prove that I’m right and they are wrong, or why do I want to impose my will on another?  2Ti 2:24-25 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient  In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

Do I ever say something, even if it is in ignorance, that is demeaning or hurtful to another?  Do I take the time and forethought to consider my words before speaking or writing them?  Col 4:6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

 Ec 10:12 The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.

Do I freely give of myself (time, money, energy) to help others…even when it is hard or I don’t really feel like it?  Do I even think about it?  How much doesn’t ever get done just because it never enters our minds?  Mt 25:41-46 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:  I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying,  Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Ga 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

I watched a movie last night, “The Grace Card”.  It wasn’t the greatest movie in the world but the premise was excellent.  Do we truly love others and forgive others, even when it is hard or when they hurt us?  Mt 5:44-48 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Ro 12:20-21 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

So what am I getting at with all of this?  (I wish that I had the talent of my husband or my children to coherently express what is on my heart.  I just muddle through as best I can.)  I’m just wanting to remind us all, myself especially, to focus less on “self” and more on God and others.  I want us to truly be able to sing that song “None of Self and All of Thee”. 

Oh, the bitter pain and sorrow
That a time could ever be,
When I proudly said to Jesus,
“All of self, and none of Thee.”

Yet He found me; I beheld Him
Bleeding on th’ accursed tree,
And my wistful heart said faintly,
“Some of self, and some of Thee.”

Day by day His tender mercy,
Healing, helping, full and free,
Brought me lower while I whispered,
“Less of self, and more of Thee.”

Higher than the highest heaven,
Deeper than the deepest sea,
Lord, Thy love at last has conquered:
“None of self, and all of Thee.”