Selfish Heart

Ready:

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” -- Philippians 2:3-4 NLT

Set:

I was playing lacrosse for a Polish Team for a couple of seasons. We had a lot of games, but I remember one particular game like it was yesterday. We were playing on our home field. We started to score in the first minutes of the game. We scored one goal, then one more, and then another. Even players who rarely scored before scored. Frankly, I was shocked because I didn’t expect them to score. In the middle of the game, the score was 6:0. My team was so happy, but I wasn’t sharing their joy and happiness because I had a terrible game, where I didn’t score at all. I thought: “Oh man! Even that guy scored. How? I play better than him. How did it happen? I don’t understand.”

That game ended in a victory for my team, but a defeat for me. I could not rejoice that win with my team because I wanted to score so much and show everyone how good I could play. But then I realized that those are my own selfish thoughts and not God’s. After that game, God showed me the motives of my heart. And I clearly understood one thing — I was selfish. I thought only about myself, about how people were looking at me, and I wanted to prove to everyone that I was cool.

Thankfully, God showed me these flaws and I started to change my perspective. From then on, I changed my focus to be more God-centered and less self-centered. I now play for God and I do my best to glorify Him in all I do. It’s important that as we play our game, that we are focused on God and His plan, no matter how many points we score.

Go:

1. How do you feel when someone is more successful than you?
2. How can you ask God to help you feel less selfish about your performance or your game?
3. Who or what can help you with playing for Jesus rather than yourself or others?

Workout:

John 13:35; 1 Corinthians 12:14-27

Overtime:

“Dear Lord, thank You so much for my team. Please change my heart and help me to not be selfish. I want to play with my team for your greater good. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

 Vova Demediuk