Selflessness – The You Part

SELFLESSNESS – THE YOU PART

We’re all quite aware that selflessness is an act of altruism towards OTHERS however I’d like to treat a part of selflessness that’s usually ignored- the YOU part.

I would like to ask a question at this point – does a petrol tanker that delivers fuel to others still have to fill his own tank? Of course he has to right? Well, it’s the same with us. Selflessness is giving ourselves, time, resources and so on-to others but there’s no way you can give what you don’t have. When a petrol tanker is out of fuel in his own tank, how then will he deliver to others? Everybody is then at loss, the tanker and his consumers.

A lot of times, we pay so much attention to the needs of people without realizing that we are always at a risk of running low on the ability to meet those needs. Selflessness is not showing love when you do not even know what love is, you could be hurting that person without realizing it.

In our bid to help and give to others it would be quite foolish not to fill our own tank first. As a Christian, before you can be selfless and exhibit the fruit of the spirit (love, joy, peace, goodness and the likes) to the outside world, you’ll definitely have to be filled with it from the inside.

I am not saying, put yourself first at the expense of others; what I am saying is in putting others first, you realize how much you need to give and how much you actually have to give. It’s like working in a bank, attending to people withdrawing. You have to attend to the long queue, meeting their needs but at the same time, checking your reserves to see if you still have enough to give.

You really cannot give out what you do not have inside. Imagine going to an empty fuel tank expecting the attendant to fill your tank; with what? You can only give what you have. You can only add value if you have value inside.

I have come to realize that meeting needs can actually drain you. At some point, Jesus had to retire to refill Himself after spending so much time meeting the needs of the people around Him. And the next day, he was back to the business of meeting needs.

Virtually everyone has got one need or the other and meeting them is an enormous responsibility. But how you go about meeting their needs without being drained to the point where you have nothing else to give is even a greater responsibility.

My main point here; “Be careful not to lose yourself in a bid of helping others find themselves.”

Why not allow Jesus meet your own needs today. He loves you and is interested in helping you in every area of need.

You Are Not Alone