Here is a great quote about selfless living….”the essence of Gospel humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of your self less.” Tim Keller.
Imagine for a minute that you find yourself at a resort when suddenly the entire kitchen staff for the resort falls ill and needs to be removed from the resort for six months. The owner of the resort has always made it a habit to look over the guest list periodically, making note of anyone staying at the resort who has any cooking ability or experience. He has your name on just such a list. At just the right time (now) he chooses you to be part of his team. He calls you into his office and tells you who he is, what has occurred, who you are in his eyes and what he needs you to do. He tells you that he will make everything that is his available to you (kitchen, recipes, procedures, dishes, etc.)
The owner also tells you that he has summoned his only son to run everything and be responsible for everything. All he asks of you is that you remember who you are in his eyes, doing whatever he believes you are capable of doing in his kitchen, with his cookware, energy and utensils. He will also supply all the food and ingredients.
He knows you are going to sometimes fall short of perfection, maybe most of the time, but when you do he wants you to do three things – 1. Remember who you are in Him. 2. Remember that his son is in control. 3. Repent, which means turn around and head in the other direction or have a change of heart about who you are in Him. He will ask you to believe in him and in his son and trust that in doing exactly what he knows you already have in your heart and in your mind you will be doing all that he expects you to do.
The owner will be as it were the vinedresser, his son will be the vine and you will be one of the branches. The owner supplies and applies all that is needed for the vine to perform the function that the owner intends for it to do. As one of the branches you just need to remain connected to the vine and the life of the vine will flow through you and accomplish the owner’s (vinedresser’s) purposes.
Notice that you are not to focus on pleasing anyone, not the customers, not your friends, not your family, not even the owner or his son. You are simply to believe in who you are in his mind and heart and trust that in him you can all things he intends for you to do. By believing the truth about who you are in Him, you can be content and complete by accomplishing what he gives you the ability to do and you can focus on others, not to please them or to be validated by them but simply to love them and lift them up no matter how they respond to you.
When you catch yourself worrying about what other people think or in simply being self focused, you just need to repent (change your mind about who you are in Him, or turn around and head in the other direction). The more you remember who you are in him because of who he is, the more you can get over yourself and truly lift other people up. Don’t think less of yourself, think of yourself less!
