Me, me, me

Aug

05

2014

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Aug

05

2014

Recently I talked to a person who became so angry that I didn’t carte blanche agree with his lopsided analysis of a situation that he cursed, sputtered and fumed. His argument was totally one-sided and it became obvious that nothing else mattered aside from his personal slant on things. It was as if he was so one-sided as to be totally incapable of seeing anyone else’s point of view.

One of my favorite books is, “How to win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. It used to be required reading for our sales department. Carnegie researched people for years and came to the conclusion that the overwhelming majority of people are totally obsessed with themselves, and little else matters to them. Carnegie’s sales-improvement course and book reveal how a sales person can use this axiom to good advantage when trying to sell someone. The most important point covered in the course is to keep the entire conversation centered on the customer, and talk only about them. Carry this concept so far as to never even bring up a subject that is unimportant to them, and use the words they like to hear the most, (their own name), often and the deal will be won.

Obviously the guy who was trying to communicate that his point was valid by cursing, sputtering, and fuming and refusing to allow any response had never read the book and would have never convinced me of anything aside from the fact that he was a blubbering idiot.

Jesus was aware that most people care little for anything or anyone aside from themselves. His lesson to us is that we are to serve others, and not dwell upon ourselves. It was strange doctrine back during the times when He literally walked the earth, and it remains so today. Most people do not heed His advice on this subject. The “me first” thinking prevails and is foremost in most people’s minds. Jesus told His disciples that He who desires to be first must be last. He went on to tell them that even He, the King of all Kings, came to this old world to serve and not be served, (as He rightfully should have been served). He wanted to personally set the example for us to follow.

In thinking about this we should realize that in the big scheme of things, we are pretty small and insignificant; thus we need to get past the mirror and look around and see the needs of those around us and do our utmost to help them. Perhaps it will even require some sacrifice, but that is what we are to do. Zig Ziglar used to say, “Give enough people what THEY want and you will get what YOU want”. It seems like an oxymoron to the human way of thinking, but many things taught by Jesus are like that.

As we walk through life we should realize that the world does not revolve around us. Indeed if you were to break up your friendship with your best friend, quit your job in a huff, or even leave this planet “toes-up”, it would not be the end of the world for those you leave behind; indeed it would be more like someone sticking their finger in a glass of water and removing it. When the finger is removed the rest of the water fills in nicely where it used to be and it is as if the finger had never been there in the first place and will not be missed. The world will keep right on spinning and insignificant little old you will not have much of an effect on anything.

The moral of the story is that all of us should not take ourselves so seriously and definitely be more humble. What we will take with us when we leave this planet will be our good works and what will be remembered about us the most will be those times we obeyed our Lord and served others. In the end greatness can be measured by our serving because greatness is serving! By the way the antonym of greatness is insignificance . . . Selah . . .

Mark 10:45
For even the Son of Man did
not come to be served, but to serve,
and to give His life a ransom for many

August 5, 2014 – Click here to listen

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