“What’s in it for Me?” Part 2 — Morning Devotions

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I started yesterday on the theme, looking at this acronym, WIIFM, thinking about “what’s in it for me?”. In other words, that’s the question that many people are asking. And the Bible has something, I think that’s more relevant, and that is what Jesus said. It’s more blessed to give than receive. That’s in Acts 20:35.

“What’s in it for Me?” Part 1 — Morning Devotions

So what actually happens when we get a distorted image of our own importance and we see ourselves as the centre of the universe, I think we lose touch really with who we are. We are the children of God, and this distorted image of our own importance keeps us out of the lives of others, because often we don’t want to know someone who’s a know-all and someone who is only focused on themselves.

Changing our view of our status

I remember the story about a stranger that ran across a man standing under a streetlight looking for his keys. He’d lost his keys and he was under the streetlight looking all over and someone says, What are you looking for? I’m looking for my keys. Well, where did you lose them? Well, he said, I lost them over there, he said, pointing away from the street light. But why aren’t you looking over there? And he said, Well, the light’s better over here.

And that’s the way people are. They go looking in the wrong place to do something about the problem or the issue in life. And that’s the sad part of it. If you go looking in the wrong place, you won’t find the answers. We need God to see beyond ourselves to His light. It was Jesus who said, I am the light of the world. He who follows me will never walk in the darkness.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 13, we have what’s known as the love chapter. Paul, who wrote the wonderful chapter, and 1 Corinthians 13:5 says it like this, Love is not rude, it’s not self-seeking.

And as I looked at the the phrase not self-seeking, the Greek phrase that literally means does not seek things of itself.

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So here it is, the person who is seeking other than themselves are actually looking for God, and the remedy for selfishness we’re talking about self-centeredness and selfishness is love because Jesus said you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. And he said the second commandment is this, you shall love your neighbour as yourself. So it’s vitally important.

To think of the Bible verse that love is not self-seeking. That’s from 1 Corinthians 13:5. Love is not selfish. In other words, yes, today that kind of goes against the grain. We are inundated with messages about looking out for yourself, improving yourself, and taking care of yourself. Make sure you look better.

Any bookstore or library that you go to will have this huge section called self-help or self-improvement, and I’m not knocking those as such but we’re constantly bombarded with the idea that you’d better watch out for number one, you know, you’ve got to take care of yourself because if you don’t, no one else will. So the message is there. The dictionary tells us that the definition of self-seeking is the act or habit of seeking one’s own interest or happiness. In other words, selfishness.

How better it is to listen to what the scripture says. And I mentioned this passage yesterday, but here’s a version called the Voice from Philippians chapter 2, verse 3 and 4. Don’t let selfishness and prideful agendas take over. Embrace true humility and lift your heads to extend love to others. Get beyond yourselves and protecting your own interests, be sincere and secure your neighbour’s interests first.

Self-centeredness. What is it? God says something very different about the idea of what’s in it for me? WIIFM. What’s in it for me? Well, we need to think a little bit beyond that to see what God says.

Let’s Pray

Well, dear Lord, we know that you are the same now and for eternity. We thank you for that wonderful fact. Nothing will ever change that. Show us, Lord, how to follow you. Give us a world view that includes heaven, and we look forward to meeting you face to face one day. But Lord, more than that, we want to be unselfish people who care for others and their needs. Amen.