So, here’s the thing. My relationship with God is being renewed and reinvigorated as of late, thanks to discipline, running, and consistency in silence and stillness.

That’s the reason for this blog post.

It’s no surprise to anyone who knows me that I struggle with people’s inattentiveness and inconsiderate behavior. From the grocery store to the freeway, it feels as if people are increasingly selfish these days.

“Do to others as you would like them to do to you. If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them!”
Luke 6:31-32 NLT

I learned earlier this week that COVID-19 is why our culture is shifting toward inward care of self instead of outward care for others. That shift makes people invariably self-centered and self-focused, caring only about their wants and needs. It’s pure, unadulterated ego!

Those of us following Jesus are being sucked into the same downward spiral. The more we try to compensate for it, trying to ‘help’ others, the more it becomes futile. What was supposed to be done out of ‘love’ is now a self-serving goal of ‘helping’ to feel good because we were so isolated.

From a psychological perspective, you have an internal or external locus of control, a sense that the world and everything around you is happening to you. If you have an internal locus of control, you believe your control over everything is at your fingertips. The responsibility is yours and yours alone. The flip side is the external locus of control. The universe is in control, not you. And all the things are out of your control.

“If someone believes they have a relationship with God but fails to guard his words, then his heart is drifting away and his religion is shallow and empty.”
James 1:26 TPT

How does that play out in the real world? Imagine you are not responsible for your actions, but the universe is. This selfishness emerges in how people treat one another, with zero regard for personal space or their actions and how they affect others.

I’m watching people try to be ‘good’ and do good things, like feeding the hungry, helping the homeless, treating those with substance use disorder, and acting all high and mighty because they are doing ‘good’ things. And I see how selfish they are being, even though they are wholly good on the surface.

How do we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus while standing on the precipice of the downward selfish spiral?

Those of us following Jesus need to keep our attention where it belongs, on him, and remember that we aren’t in control and, at the same time, recognize that our actions have a ripple effect on others. The love we share, or our destructive behaviors have consequences.

In what ways are you loving Jesus by loving others without getting caught in the trap of selfishness?