The Good of the Many

"For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many" 1 Corinthians

As I sit here thinking about this verse in the context of what Paul is writing, I'm amazed by his humility. Paul is so focused on one thing and one thing only. He wants people to know Christ. Paul is so changed by his conversion and his calling he is unwilling to think any other way. He does everything he can to bring glory to Christ. Everything he works for, he eats, everything is done to the glory of God. Looking at this and being totally honest with myself, I don't see that in me. I try but I know I am selfish on so many levels, it shames me. At this point I can do two things. I can blame the culture around me or I can accept responsibility of my own actions and do something about it.

How do we break the cycle of selfish behavior? The problem with most of us is we have an 'I' problem. I am so focused on myself (I), that I cannot see the obvious. I put myself, my desires, my wants, my comforts, my will ahead of others. I do this with a smile on my face and in the most polite way possible, but it's all about me. So what I have to do is move my focus onto something else. Paul tells to 'fix your eyes on Jesus'. As Christians we only need to look to Christ. Through the Holy Spirit and through prayer we can start to learn to think of others before ourselves. As we look to Christ we take our focus off of our own desires and as we pray for others we put this into practice.

Saying and doing are two different things I know this. So here is what I want you to do. I want you to think about Christ and what he has done on the cross. Think about why he suffered and died. Think about the fact Christ died for you to take away your sin through the shedding of his own blood. Think about the fact he rose again from the grave and through him now, you have eternal life. Now think about someone you know a family member, co-worker, or neighbor and pray for them. Pray God will use you to help them know Christ. Pray that they will have a deeper walk with Christ. Keep praying and when you feel like there isn't anyone else, think about what Christ did again. Do this anytime of the day. Turn off the radio in your car on your commute and do this little exercise.

Here is what you will notice. Your focus on life will move from self to others. God will change you through worship and prayer for others. This is what Paul was always doing, reflecting on the sacrifice of Christ and praying for others. He did this not for himself, but for the good of the many.

-ps