What do I stand for?   The music video linked here by ‘Fun.’ asks a very good question, and within the context of living as Kingdom people, followers of Christ, this question begs an answer in all of us!  If we are truly honest with ourselves we have asked this question a time or two.  This question encompasses a whole spectrum of things from political beliefs and ideologies to intrinsic ethical and moral convictions of our personal worldviews.  This question can be a very existential pondering.  For when we ask this solitary question, other questions in the sequence of our lives beg to be asked as well.

Automatically, when thinking about what we stand for, we will recall the ‘golden rule’; “Do unto others as you would have done unto you”.  And certainly this is applicable, but what is it that we would like others to do unto us?  Love us?  Yes.  Treat us fairly? Check.  Be honest?  Certainly.  Be kind?  Absolutely.  All of these qualities and more is what we would have others do to us.

Enter Selfishness:

We hold to those truths listed above for others, but what about the way we treat other people?  Do we treat others the same way?  All too often we peer through rose colored glasses in how we treat others but if we were to look harder at our motives and intentions, we would quickly realize that many times we do things that will benefit us.  If there isn’t something in it for us, then we quickly lose interest and pursue things more self-involved and self-fulfilled.  Selfishness is our down fall most of the time.  If we aren’t fulfilled by the things we do, then no one will be fulfilled.  This is our old sinful self that is rearing its ugly head.  If there was a weakness in the Christian armor, the chinks in the armor would be selfishness and pride.   If we let our selfishness reign supreme in our decisions and in our lifestyles then we aren’t fulfilling our calling as Christ-followers.   Selflessness and Selfishness cannot take up the same space within our hearts; it’s either one or the other.   This is the crux of our world today, many of our sin issues that is crumbling any sense of morality comes from our pursuit of selfishness.

What Does Selflessness look like?

“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
and whoever wants to be first must be your slave– just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26-28 (NIV) 

If we stand for Christ and for what He seeks to do for the lost in our world then we must become servants and serve!  Becoming a servant of Christ isn’t easy, and it never will be if we still operate from our old selfishness.  Before we knew Christ we were consumed by this selfishness.  Now that we know Him and identify with His suffering we too must stand for more than just ourselves.  That old operating system of self cannot and will not lead others to God.  It will only perpetuate that sinful selfish cycle that this world is so used to.  What Christ did, was turn selfishness on its head.  What He asks of us as Sons and daughters of God is to follow in His footsteps as we fulfill that great commission:

^“ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)

When we ‘go’ we are called to leave our selfishness behind.  This, from the start is where we begin this journey of what we stand for!

TO BE CONTINUED….

Like a television series, imagine the old announcer say, “Tune in tomorrow, we’ll explore ‘Standing for God’s justice’.”