Mr. Self I

Wednesday 26 July
READ: Phil. 2: 3 – 12
MORE LESSON: Luke 12: 17 – 20

Selfishness is the source of all sins in a man's life. At the root of every sin is the desire to gratify self. Col 3: 9 says, Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds. Self is the 'old man' - the selfish nature that makes man to sin. When self is exalted in a man's life, he always thinks of himself above others and wants to be seen as number one. Self is that unregenerated part of a man that is unhappy when he sees another person with something better than what he has.
Selfishness is the root of all wrongdoing. Sin has its source in a man thinking of himself only without giving a thought to what the other person or God wants. This is the reason a man will take another man's property without giving thought to how the owner would feel. It is why a politician would embezzle billions of naria and use it for himself and his family while countless others are left in poverty and lack. That is why a man would leave his wife and children at home and be pursuing young girls. The man is only thinking of gratifying himself; he is not thinking of his wife or the children. Selfishness can be seen even in ministry when the desire to be seen as a powerful minister is what drives a man and not the desire to see people helped and God glorified.
The rich fool in Luke 12: 17 – 20 was so full of himself and didn't care about anyone else. In his monologue recorded in the Bible, he used the words 'I' and 'my' more than ten times without taking a thought for anyone else. It was because of selfishness that he was destroyed. Phil 2:3-4 says, Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. All works of the flesh (Gal 5: 19 - 21) are the manifestation of selfishness in a man's life.
So how do you get out of selfishness? Love is the solution. You should not think of yourself only, you must think about the well-being of others as well. You should not live for self only, you must love your neighbour as yourself. When you love God with all your heart and your neighbour as yourself, you will not do things that will hurt God or harm your neighbour. Thus you will stay away from sin.

Prayer/Action
* Declare that the old man is crucified in you and you will no longer live to gratify its desires, in the name of Jesus.
* Ask God to help you walk in true love towards all men, in Jesus’ name.
* Bind self in your life and release yourself to God's leading, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Father, every covenant of terminal disease known and unknown to me, I terminate it over my life and family, in the mighty name of Jesus..