Dec 14 - Matthew 7:12

Jesus said,

In everything do to others

as you would have them do to you;

for this is the law and the prophets.

Matthew 7:12

I am inherently selfish. That's my natural nature. 

That's all of our native natures. Because babies are so cute, we forget to analyze their true motives – which are basically ugly. For infants, it's all about ME. Feed ME. Hold ME. Change ME. Pay attention to ... ME, ME, ME. And when ME isn't happy, that little ME will whine and cry until ME gets its way. 

Sure, you can call it instinct or self-preservation. Sure, they might be more diplomatic if they had better language skills. But if you want to truly comprehend the level of unpleasant self-absorption, try these tactics in your workplace! It's cute on a baby. It's repulsive in an adult. 

Our natural nature is selfish. Think about it: We don't have to train a two-year-old to be selfish. We have to teach them to share! We have to coach them to be patient. We have to teach forgiveness. 

The confession that I grew up with in the old red Lutheran worship Service Book and Hymnal started each service with these confessional words: "I confess that I am by nature sinful and unclean." It might as well have read, "I confess that I am by nature selfish, self-centered, and self-absorbed."

One of the most important moments of my life came when I was about 8. Lying in my bed one night, I was angry and pouting, thinking about why I wasn't getting my way, and pondering the injustice of others (including classmates and little brothers) occasionally getting their way. And all of a sudden something occurred to me: "Maybe others feel things as deeply as I do."

I know. I'm slow. Selfish, self-absorbed, and slow. That's my natural nature. 

But, you know, maybe I'm not much different than the rest of the world. If our natural nature was altruism, Jesus wouldn't have had to teach the Golden Rule. And it wouldn't have seemed so profound that history labeled this short sentence as Golden unless it was so contrary to the ME within you and ME. 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who wants to be golden

(and a golden selflessness

will last longer than gold and money)