I've often heard people discuss being "selfless" as if it were a virtue. And yet it is not the same thing as love. Hermits may be selfless (or not), they may deny themselves, but that is not love. No one is blessed by it. No one is helped by it. No one else's life is made warmer or brighter or deeper by it. No one has their distress or loneliness relieved, or adds to their bonds of fellowship. Is there any gain in self-sacrifice for its own sake? The difference between selflessness and love is the difference between Eleanor Rigby and Mother Theresa.
The God-honoring alternative to selfishness is that we should love each other.
Hmmm. Interesting thought. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteSo many people take it for granted that selflessness is a good thing in and of itself. It's not the same thing as love.
ReplyDeleteTake care and God bless,
Anne
Hey Anne,
ReplyDeleteHere's an interesting topic for debating whether a particular thing is "good": Competition. Is that part of God's design or is it a part of our fallen nature.
Hm, my bet would be: there is a healthy aspect of competition that is part of God's design, & as with any good thing it can be corrupted.
ReplyDeleteTake care & God bless
Anne / WF