Being Unselfish

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3–4 NASB)

As I consider Paul’s counsel, three practical ideas emerge that may help us cultivate an unselfish attitude.

First, never let selfishness or conceit be your motive. That’s right, never. That is Paul’s advice, isn’t it? “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit” (emphasis mine).

Second, always regard others as more important than yourself. Though this is not a natural trait, it can become a habit—and what an important one!

Third, don’t limit your attention to your own personal interests—include others. I think it was Andrew Murray who said: “The humble person is not one who thinks meanly of himself; he simply does not think of himself at all.”

Some may try to dissuade you from what may appear to be an unbalanced, extremist position. They may tell you that anyone who adopts this sort of attitude is getting dangerously near self-flagellation and a loss of healthy self-esteem. Nonsense! The goal is that we become so interested in others and in helping them reach their highest good that we become
self-forgetful in the process.

Go back momentarily to Paul’s choice of words, “humility of mind.” As we pursue this attitude (exalting Christ) and get involved in the same objective (being of help and encouragement to others), we set aside our differences (harmony) and lose interest in pleasing ourselves (unselfishness). Perhaps the closest we come to that is when we are forced to mutually endure hard times.

You see, this is not some deep, ethereal, or theological subject we’re thinking about. Being unselfish in attitude strikes at the very core of our being. It means we are willing to forfeit our own comfort, our own preferences, our own schedule, our own desires for another’s benefit. And that brings us back to Christ. Perhaps you never realized that it was His attitude of unselfishness that launched Him from the splendour of heaven to a humble manger in Bethlehem . . . and later to the cross at Calvary. How did He accept all that? Willingly.