selfishness

“YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!”

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Sorry couldn’t help using that phrase from the movie “A Few good Men.” Many in today’s society have developed a type of thin skin. They get locked into their little world and if anything disrupts it or challenges it is something to be hated and derided.
Many claim they are “tolerant” yet when it comes time to be that way they show themselves to be hypocrites. They wish to live in this perfect world of their own creation. Not caring if they are wrong or hurt others for they are not a part of their little sphere. This goes back to some of my earlier post which I state that the ultimate sin is selfishness. For from being selfish all other sins germinate. I still hold to that believe and it is one of those thing no human can truly loss, for at one time or another you will do something selfish.
It is amazing that when you fully read the Bible you learn in time that over and over God and even Jesus Christ try to show the reader that being unselfish is the purist and best way to look at and live life. This is the truth and most cannot handle it, and that is truly and deeply sad.
Mark 12: 30 – 31 – And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Philippians 2: 3- Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Romans 12: 10 – Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
James 4: 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
Matthew 23: 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

Overwhelming sin

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Overcoming what one can call an overwhelming sin is one of the toughest things any person can face in their life. But what is an overwhelming sin? It is a sin that can change your life. The most extreme example I can think of is murder. Taking the life of another human being changes your life as well as the life of those that loved the one that was taken away. It also affects those that would have been influenced and helped by the person that is no longer there. So as you can see in this example an overwhelming sin affects you, as well as anyone that could be affected by its presents in your life. Overwhelming sins are those sins that change your very nature.
I have no doubt that all struggle with an overwhelming sin. I know I have had to deal with one since I was a teenager. A sin that rears its ugly head in times when my spirit is at its most vulnerable. It occurs in a time when other events in the world take up most of your time and effort. Then suddenly it appears, unexpectedly. At times, the sin over powers you to a degree, but soon guilt starts to hit you, then remorse, then repentance. This is how all sins work, but the overwhelming sin as mentioned above can affect your entire life as well as those about you. It is not a minor sin like saying a curse word. But one that reaches deep inside your very soul and causes the person that you should be in God’s eyes into someone that is not even recognizable.
The core of the problem I have found in my own personal experience is selfishness. It all boils down to this one simple fact. I was thinking only of myself. I gave no care to anyone or anything. I must satisfy myself and I do not care what anyone says, thinks or feels. It is this one feeling that dictates all. The very fact that all must revolve and be only for me is the foundation to all sin, especially the overwhelming one.
We are to be humble. We are to make ourselves the servant, especially those that are in a place of leadership. We are to place everything ahead of ourselves. It is this, which is one of the biggest struggles that any person has to go through. When someone finally realizes that they are not the focal point of the world. That they are merely one of the cogs inside the watch and not the watch itself that true change can take place. It is here that the overwhelming sin can be driven back and bury. If not forever for at least long enough to allow you to grow into what God wants you to grow into.
Many in today’s world are surrendering to selfishness. In many cases, even the government is encouraging this behavior. All need to think, all need to realize, that we are not here to satisfy only your own selfish wants or desires. We are here to address the needs of others. We need to be humble and not seek to please ourselves, but to help those in pain and suffering. Pain and suffering that in many cases was thrust upon them by the act of someone thinking only of themselves and their own satisfaction. Someone who has lost the battle to overcome their overwhelming sin.

A Commandant broken

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Those who know God understand that when certain ideas come to them it did not come from within them. They know it came from an external source, for God is His own being, the ultimate being.
God has the power to cross dimensions. For is heaven not another dimension? God created so many stars they cannot be counted and crosses an expanse so big it is immeasurable. This is something a mere human cannot do.
There are those that act as if they are god. These people are blinding themselves to the truth and disobeying God.
“You shall place no other gods before God,” says the first commandment. Saying you are god, you are placing yourself before the true God. This is an act of selfishness and as I have pointed out before, to me, selfishness is the ultimate sin; for from it all other sins germinate.
False gods are yourself, another person, money, your job, sporting events, etc. Giving something more time and recognition than God is breaking the commandment. We are told to do things in moderation. This mean in little segments of our time, but once it becomes the main thing in your life, it is idolatry. So people need to search their souls and decide where they stand with God.

“Curse of the Close-minded & Short-sighted”

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I did not write what is to follow, but I had to share it. It is worth the read:

Another vent note….

This week I have dealt with three very difficult people, each in a unique situation, but all three the same, closed-minded and short-sighted, i.e., dangerous…. When you see someone you care about walking down a path that could harm them or others the natural reaction is to try to stop them, but what if you can’t? Often times this is the case because these people do not wish to see the facts or fail to see logic, and unfortunately they are the majority. It’s easy to fall into the trap of seeing the world only from your perspective of what’s right or wrong, it feels safe, secure, and it makes the world seem less complicated, but it’s a lie. A lie that can harm the innocent, it can destroy lives, and it can create conflict. It is the ultimate form of selfishness because you are placing yourself above others.

“If someone is able to show me that what I think or do is not right, I will happily change, for I seek the truth, by which no one was ever truly harmed. It is the person who continues in his self-deception and ignorance who is harmed.”
― Marcus Aurelius

This is my rant about this obscenely large group of people. I know I can’t do anything to change it, but it is really hard for me to watch it, and if I could I would separate myself and my family from all of it, but it’s everywhere. It’s a helpless feeling…having no real control over your life, and none of us do. We are all victims to the actions or inactions of others in some form…none of us are in control and if you think that you are the exception then you are part of the problem, none of us have control. What makes it terrifying is not only are we victims to the decisions of others, those decisions are often not very thought out….

“The most fatal illusion is the settled point of view. Since life is growth and motion, a fixed point of view kills anybody who has one.”
― Brooks Atkinson

There is no arguing with people like this, which makes it even more tragic. You could have certifiable proof and it would not matter to them. They value their opinion over fact, or logic, and that is not rational behavior. They love to deal in absolutes such as “always,” or “never,” when neither of these concepts exist in reality. They see the world as black or white, but these purities do not exist in the human world, everything is simply different shades of gray. Instead of planning ahead, they live in the moment; a view romanticized in this day in age, but it’s dangerous.

“Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.”
― Benjamin Franklin

A simple example of this most of us can relate to, an intersection. Ever seen a dangerous 4-way or 2-way stop, and wonder, “why don’t they put a traffic light here, someone is going to get killed?” But, nothing ever happens. It remains the same for years and years, ample time to do something about it, but nothing. Until one day you hear about a person or family getting killed at that intersection then about a month later, as if by magic, traffic light has appeared…. Still the damage has been done—a life or lives have been lost, all due to lack of foresight. If foresight would have been used they would still be alive.

“If you have the power to prevent a tragedy but do nothing, you are equally held to the same guilt as the one who committed the act.”
— Michael Halding

Is it possible to predict every outcome, no it’s not, but it is important that we prepare for real logical possibilities and we leave our minds open for those possibilities. We must keep our minds open because someone else might be able to see something we can’t, something if action is taken could save a life. However, due to pride most people do not do this and to those people I ask, is your pride worth someone’s life? Must someone pay with their life for you to see reality? To me, it doesn’t make sense, it’s a waste, it’s selfish, arrogant, and immoral.

If you are one of these people…you are the problem, and you are the source of pain in this world.

/endvent

Growing faith

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A recurring theme throughout my life has been the desire to respect others. Sure, some parts of my personality can be a thorn to some, but who amongst us can say that is not true for any person. In my early teens, I allowed my peers to turn my heart to hardness. This lasted until I was in my mid-twenties. One thing that I know marked these years was the mere fact that I had become selfish and self-serving.
When I became born again at twenty-six the man, what I should have been came back into existence. A man that God knew and recognized. (See my post “Overwhelming sin” to understand what I meant by this statement). The man returned to what the boy I had been before I allowed my peers to turn me into what I had become in the dark years.
I learned to give into my desires and wants in those years. I allowed myself to listen to only myself. Not caring if I hurt people. Many of these people were girls and women, especially when I turned eighteen.
Regret is one thing that has crossed my mind more than once over the last quarter of a century plus. Sometimes this regret causes me to do things that help others. Then there are times this regret has made me avoid situations out of fear they may be a repeat of something from my past that I do not wish to go through again. I feel these regrets are due to me trying to think of others before myself.
Too many times in the Bible we are told be humble, placing others before ourselves. The emphasis is too poignant that true faith requires humility, thus selflessness. When you are selfish, you are not acting for God. When thinking of your own desires no matter how little or big you have placed yourself before others.
I really think it is in all of us to be humble. I know I was humble when I was a child and had forgotten it due to pain and humiliation. How I returned to it is where free-will comes into play. I felt wrong from my behavior. I felt more guilt as I became more selfish. I do not know if others experience this and hide it, but it allowed me to face myself and realize this is not what God wanted for me or us for that matter. So I chose through the act of free-will to return to what I was taught in my youth.
I know I am not perfect. No human can ever be perfect. I know I have overcome sins that would have turned me into someone other then what I am. I know not only that it was God, but an inner strength that has allowed me to grow into the man I am today. Where did I get this inner strength? From my trials I have face throughout my life. Without these trials, I feel I would in no way be the man I am today.
All I do know is that the man that types these words today is in fact someone who deserves to be call a man, since there is a difference between being male and being a man. It is by God and for God that I am here, and I praise Him for that.