As we approach the new year, at God’s direction, what changes do we need to make? Specifically, will we focus more on our own lives and needs, or the lives and needs of others?
Since the rise of Covid, it has become much easier to focus on our own lives compared to others. First, many remain under mortal dread of Covid, a fear that is often self-directed. We’ve also been living to a large extent in self-isolation, often as a result of government mandates.
Even worse, in our cancel-culture world, we are being taught not only to disregard the needs of others, but to slander, hate, and even destroy those who might dare to disagree with us. One finds this being spewed from both the political left, and in response, the political right as well.
Yet focusing on one’s own self doesn’t end well. Of greatest importance, Philippians 2:–4 tells us to regard others as more important than ourselves and to look out for the interests of others rather than just our own personal needs. Thus as Christians, we’re given a direct command to look after the concerns of others.
Let us look briefly at two biblical examples of self-focus. Perhaps the best known of the two is Satan’s five “I wills” found in Isaiah 14:13–14, where he insists he will become like God, and seeks to usurp God’s place. As verse fifteen states, it ends with him being cast down to the pit, in his own destruction. His self-exaltation brings catastrophic results.
Second, in 1 Samuel 25, we find the story of Nabal, Abigail, and David. We find that David protects Nabal’s shepherds, and then sends his young men to Nabal at a festive time to receive good from Nabal in return. Nabal answers harshly, as recorded in verses 10–11. His focus is on his own things for himself: my bread, my water, my meat that I’ve slaughtered for my shearers, not to be given to strangers. It is only through Abigail’s quick actions that Nabal’s house is not destroyed. When Abigail finally tells Nabal, he becomes like a stone, and God strikes him dead about ten days later. Interestingly verse 25 tells us that Nabal’s name means fool.
We see in both examples that living for self doesn’t end well. Galatians 6:8 informs us that if we live for own selves we will reap corruption, in essence our own destruction and death, while if we live at the direction of the Holy Spirit, sowing accordingly, we will reap eternal life.
What will we choose? How will we live in 2022?
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