Self Centered
Jerry Wilhite, author In a comercial there is couple who are driving home with their college student son. The father says how proud he is of his son. The son states that he misses a cereal and when he gets home he is going to eat all of the cereal. The father stops and kicks his son out due to the cereal (he wants it for himself). What it ends with is the parents eating the cereal without the son. This is an example of self-centeredness; the cereal represents self-need. Yes, it is just a comercial but the idea is that people don't realize that it is being fed into our subconscious. The problem is it is not unique; if anything when it comes to retail and the public the retailers will use what ever works to make them money. Just think, when a single comercial of this nature is noticeable, what about those that are more subtle? It is not just comercials, it is TV., movies, and music. They are all in some way promoting self. No matter whether or not you believe it, that does not make it any less true. Being self centered is one of the biggest sins there is. It is probably the root to all sin. Actually, when you think about it all we do is basically self centered one way or another. When was the last time you placed someone else before your self? Or even better, when was the last time you placed God before self? When Cain slew Abel it was over jealousy, but if Cain had put God or Abel first, he never would have killed Abel. How often in life do we allow self to enter and come between us and a loved one or a friend? Or worse, between us and God? Remember what God said about having gods before Him. When anything in life comes before God in our life then it becomes a god. About the only time you can be self centered is with your relationship with God. At this point it really is more God centered, but if you set aside time every day to spend with God and will not allow anything to come between you and God in that time, then you may be considered self centered in your relationship. This is the only time you can allow this to happen. The way life is supposed to be is as follows: Some will say placing self so far down the list invites people to treat you like a doormat. In Job we see that what saved Job from his problems and returned him to his previous life had nothing to do with self. Actually, for 9 months Job was feeling sorry for himself and did not get anywhere, but when Job placed 3 friends before himself and prayed for them, he had everything that was taken from him returned twice over. With 3 friends like these, no one needs enemies? They had told Job to just curse God and die, and doing that would have sent Job to Hell, instead of to God. So, how can praying for 3 people who are self centered help Job or us? Easy the original sin was based on self. Remember Adam, not Eve was told never to eat of a certain tree and Adam did. It was not done for God, and not for friends or other loved ones, because it was only Adam and Eve at this point. Adam ate to please Eve, and in doing so was placing his desires for her above what God had comanded of him. When ever someone places others first they are closer to God, and when it is self they are closer to Satan. Galatians 5 14. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 15. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. 16. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20. Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21. Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 19. |5318| clearly revealed |1161| Now |2076| are |3588| the |2041| works |3588| of the |4561| flesh, |3748| which |2076| are: |4202| sexual sin, |0167| uncleanness, |0766| lustfulness, ______________________________________________________________ Strong's Ref. # 4202 Romanized porneia Pronounced por-ni'-ah from GSN4203; harlotry (including adultery and incest); figuratively, idolatry: KJV--fornication. ______________________________________________________________ Strong's Ref. # 4203 Romanized porneuo Pronounced porn-yoo'-o from GSN4204; to act the harlot, i.e. (literally) indulge unlawful lust (of either sex), or (figuratively) practice idolatry: KJV--comit (fornication). ______________________________________________________________ Strong's Ref. # 4204 Romanized porne Pronounced por'-nay feminine of GSN4205; a strumpet; figuratively, an idolater: KJV--harlot, whore. ______________________________________________________________ Strong's Ref. # 4205 Romanized pornos Pronounced por'-nos from pernemi (to sell; akin to the base of GSN4097); a (male) prostitute (as venal), i.e. (by analogy) a debauchee (libertine): KJV--fornicator, whoremonger. ______________________________________________________________ Strong's Ref. # 167 Romanized akatharsia Pronounced ak-ath-ar-see'-ah from GSN0169; impurity (the quality), physically or morally: KJV--uncleanness. ______________________________________________________________ Strong's Ref. # 766 Romanized aselgeia Pronounced as-elg'-i-a from a compound of GSN0001 (as a negative particle) and a presumed selges (of uncertain derivation, but apparently meaning "continent"); licentiousness (sometimes including other vices): KJV--filthy, lasciviousness, wantonness. ______________________________________________________________ 20. |1495| idol-service, |5331| sorcery, |2189| hostilities, |2054| fightings, |2205| jealousies, |2372| angers, |2052| rivalries, |1370| divisions, |0139| heresies, ______________________________________________________________ Strong's Ref. # 2189 Romanized echthra Pronounced ekh'-thrah feminine of GSN2190; hostility; by implication, a reason for opposition: KJV--enmity, hatred. ______________________________________________________________ Strong's Ref. # 2054 Romanized eris Pronounced er'-is of uncertain affinity; a quarrel, i.e. (by implication) wrangling: KJV--contention, debate, strife, variance. ______________________________________________________________ Strong's Ref. # 2205 Romanized zelos Pronounced dzay'-los from GSN2204; properly, heat, i.e. (figuratively) "zeal" (in a favorable sense, ardor; in an unfavorable one, jealousy, as of a husband [figuratively, of God], or an enemy, malice): KJV--emulation, envy(-ing), fervent mind, indignation, jealousy, zeal. ______________________________________________________________ Strong's Ref. # 2372 Romanized thumos Pronounced thoo-mos' from GSN2380; passion (as if breathing hard): KJV--fierceness, indignation, wrath. Compare GSN5590. ______________________________________________________________ Strong's Ref. # 2052 Romanized eritheia Pronounced er-ith-i'-ah perhaps as the same as GSN2042; properly, intrigue, i.e. (by implication) faction: KJV--contention(-ious), strife. ______________________________________________________________ Strong's Ref. # 1370 Romanized dichostsis Pronounced dee-khos-tas-ee'-ah from a derivative of GSN1364 and GSN4714; disunion, i.e. (figuratively) dissension: KJV--division, sedition. ______________________________________________________________ Strong's Ref. # 139 Romanized hairesis Pronounced hah'-ee-res-is from GSN0138; properly, a choice, i.e. (specially) a party or (abstractly) disunion: KJV--heresy [which is the Greek word itself], sect. ______________________________________________________________ 21. |5355| envyings, |3178| drunkennesses, |2970| revellings, |2532| and |3664| similar things |5125| to these, |3739| which |4302| I tell before |5213| you, |2531| as |2532| also |4280| I said previously, |3754| that |3588| those who |5108| such things |4238| are practicing |9999| {the} |0932| kingdom |2316| of God |3756| not |2816| will inherit. ______________________________________________________________ Strong's Ref. # 5355 Romanized phthonos Pronounced fthon'-os probably akin to the base of GSN5351; ill-will (as detraction), i.e. jealousy (spite): KJV--envy. ______________________________________________________________ Strong's Ref. # 3178 Romanized methe Pronounced meth'-ay a primary word; an intoxicant, i.e. (by implication) intoxication: KJV--drunkenness. ______________________________________________________________ Strong's Ref. # 2970 Romanized komos Pronounced ko'-mos from GSN2749; a carousal (as if letting loose): KJV--revelling, rioting. ______________________________________________________________ Most of what we have read in Galatians is based in self. If you have God and others before self, you can not be of Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, reveling, etc. But if you are placing God and others first this is what will be evident in your life: love, joy, peace, patience kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Of course it is also the fruit of the Spirit of God. Those who go to church to cause insurrection, or at church cause turmoil are of the first group. Those who have the fruit of the Spirit evident in their life will not argue, debate, or cause confusion. Both need to spend time with the lord daily. There are two answers to this, one is if the place you are fed is not of God or not teaching the meat then leave and find one that does and pray for both. Or stay and support them; pray for them and help guide them to the true path to the truth of God.
3-3-4 H.O.M.E.