Phil. 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
It is often implied that serving the Lord is about finding fulfillment and filling a void in your life rather than a command and responsibility of every Christian to live a crucified life of servant-hood. Serving the Lord is indeed fulfilling, but that it is not why we do it.
Finney, the great evangelist, uses the illustration of a man who spends the entire first half of his life in the pursuit of wealth and power with the idea that success will make him ³happy² only to find himself empty despite his success. Later, a friend invites this man to church and the pastor explains that power and wealth will not make him ³happy², only JESUS will make him ³happy². The man goes to the altar and accepts JESUS as his LORD. According to Finney, this man leaves just as unsaved as he was before because the condition of his selfish heart had not changed. This man just changed the methodology of his own ³happiness² rather than a complete repentance and surrender to The LORD.
We have to examine our hearts and repent of unrighteous motivation. We must serve the Lord because it¹s right, not because it makes us feel good. The Bible says ³seek first HIS kingdom and HIS righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.² We will receive fulfillment, success, and joy only when we lay down our own selfishness and make the Lord¹s will our ultimate desire.
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