LET’S KILL THAT SIELFISHNESS TODAY WITH UNSPEAKABLE JOY: LET’S MAKE THE SPIRIT OF GIVING – RULE THE DAY IN OUR WORLDS FOR OTHERS JOY!
“Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8 whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with JOY UNSPEAKABLE and full of glory: 9 receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls” 1 Peter 1:6-9.
I know sometimes it’s difficult to be out there for someone else when you are going through some personal challenges that are overwhelming too.
But I have come to know and understand by God in Christ Jesus, that an exceeding great JOY — the unspeakable, indescribable, and immeasurable joy — is experienced in the loving act of GIVING FIRST to others, before our trinity self which I call — I, Me, and Myself, otherwise ascribed sometimes as the me, me, and me.
For it takes the desire to extend that unspeakable joy to others to kill the spirit of selfishness and self-centred lifestyle.
Living a selfless life toward God and man in Christ Jesus’ stead is the only way to bear along others’ burdens by the incredible opportunity that we may have that others don’t have.
Life is about sharing the good and goodness with others who are vulnerable and limited in life resources — with our abundance, or even the so-called little we have, as the biblical widow’s mite, we’ve all heard or read about.
“I have shewed you all things, HOW THAT SO LABOURING YE OUGHT TO SUPPORT THE WEAK, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE” Acts 20:35.
“And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were RICH cast in much. 42 And there came a certain POOR widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. 43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this POOR WIDOW hath cast MORE in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: 44 for all they did cast in of their ABUNDANCE; but she of her WANT did cast in all that she had, even all her living” Mark 12:41-44 [Luke 21:1-4].
The word JOY to me means J for JESUS — as the first, O for OTHERS as the next, and Y for YOURSELF as the last.
And I’ve found JOY indescribable and absolutely thrilling ever since I have learnt this act in my doing life and living godly in Christ Jesus’ stead through the years.
And I highly recommend its application to you without prejudice, sentiments, and dissimulation, and it’s irrespective of whoever and whatever.
For the act of love and loving is embedded in the spirit of GIVING to others first. Hence, God so loved that He GAVE first and the best — not leftovers and rejects.
That’s how to kill the selfishness and selfish spirit in you and about you, in order to make love purposeful, meaningful, and fulfilling.
“For God so LOVED the WORLD that He GAVE His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16.
Therefore, TODAY, while and when it is called TODAY, think about what GOOD and GOODNESS that is in you in terms of – TIME, EFFORT, FINANCE, MATERIAL – that you can GIVE to make a huge and great difference in someone else’s life without complaining and murmuring. That’s what love and loving is all about – in giving to someone else first, before the you-self trinity within. Endeavour to give it a go today and even now.
As said earlier, the fulness of JOY can be attributed as pleasing JESUS and OTHERS, then YOURSELF. Meaning preferring in this order as said FIRST [J] – Jesus and Second [O] – Others and before You [Y] – Yourself.
The exceeding great JOY of God is of the heart, born in the human spirit of love and loving. Therefore, put an end to SELFISHNESS – and start LOVING, start GIVING today and even now as an ONWARD and UPWARD trajectory in Christ Jesus’ stead. Amen.
“And hope maketh not ashamed; because the LOVE of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us . . . 8 But God commendeth His LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:5, 8.
I do pray that you may experience the exceeding great and fulness of God’s joy today as you express your acts of love and loving in the GIVING-FIRST spirit today.
SELAH – PAUSE AND THINK!
SCRIPTURAL THOUGHTS WORTH PONDERING IN CONTEXT:
“For God so LOVED the WORLD that He GAVE His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16.
“GIVE, and it shall be GIVEN unto you; GOOD MEASURE, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men GIVE into your bosom. For with the SAME MEASURE that ye mete withal it shall be MEASURED to you again” Luke 6:38.
“Thou wilt shew me the PATH OF LIFE: in thy presence is FULNESS OF JOY; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” Psalms 16:11
“When they saw the star, they REJOICED with EXCEEDING GREAT JOY” Matthew 2:10.
“I have shewed you all things, HOW THAT SO LABOURING YE OUGHT TO SUPPORT THE WEAK, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE” Acts 20:35.
“The DESIRE of the RIGHTEOUS is only GOOD: but the EXPECTATION of the WICKED is WRATH. 24 There is that SCATTERETH, and yet INCREASETH; and there is that WITHHOLDETH more than is meet, but it TENDETH to POVERTY. 25 The LIBERAL soul shall be MADE fat: and he that WATERETH shall be WATERED also himself” Proverbs 11:23-25.
SUMMARY:
The message tells us that Selfishness dies when we choose to GIVE first. The spirit of GIVING rules our world and births UNSPEAKABLE JOY — the kind of JOY that puts JESUS first, OTHERS next, YOURSELF last. Today is the day to stop complaining and start LOVING through giving.
Acts 20:35 — “IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE”
KEY POINTS:
- JOY IS FOUND IN GIVING FIRST
The exceedinggreat JOY — unspeakable, indescribable, and immeasurable — is experienced in the act of GIVING to others first, before the “I, Me, and Myself” trinity.
1 Peter 1:8 — We rejoice with JOY UNSPEAKABLE and full of glory even in trials, as our faith is tested.
Psalms 16:11 — In God’s presence is FULNESS OF JOY.
- KILL SELFISHNESS WITH A GIVING SPIRIT
It takes the desire to extend joy to others to kill the spirit of selfishness andself-centred lifestyle.
Living a selfless life toward God and man in Christ Jesus’ stead is how we bear others’ burdens.
God set the example: John 3:16 — “For God so LOVED the WORLD that He GAVE His only begotten Son” — He gave His best, not leftovers.
- GIVE WHETHER ABUNDANCE OR “WIDOW’S MITE“
Life is about sharing the good and goodness with the vulnerable and those limited in resources.
Mark 12:41-44 — The poor widow gave more than the rich, because she gave out of her want — all she had.
Proverbs 11:24-25 — “There is that SCATTERETH, and yet INCREASETH… The LIBERAL soul shall be MADE fat.”
Luke 6:38 — “GIVE, and it shall be GIVEN unto you; GOOD MEASURE, pressed down, and shaken together…”
- THE J-O-Y PRINCIPLE
JOY = Jesus first, Others next, Yourself last.
The fulness of JOY is attributed to pleasing JESUS and OTHERS, then YOURSELF.
This order makes love purposeful, meaningful, and fulfilling.
CALL TO ACTION:
- Examine your “WHATEVER” — What can you give today?
- Reject Selfishness — Choose the “you-self trinity” last.
- Give First — Like God did. Like the widow did.
- Expect Joy — Unspeakable joy comes when you bless others first.
- Live J-O-Y — Jesus, Others, Yourself.
Final Word:
Let’s make the SPIRIT OF GIVING rule the day in our worlds for OTHERS’ JOY. When we kill selfishness with giving, we experience the exceeding great JOY of God. IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE
REV. CHUKIE MORSI