the cycle of "me"

Things to think about this week from SacredSpace.ie:

"In the bible, poverty is an evil to be corrected; wealth is not an evil but a necessity for the well-being of the kingdom. However the love of riches can lead to neglect of God and of the poor. The Christian community has always tried to make the care of the poor its priority. Is it mine? ‘What stress are you under?’ Jesus asks of us. It stems from his mission. He is sent by the Father to purify, and to distinguish what is genuine from dross. Life according to the beatitudes has its share of conflict. For those who hunger and thirst for justice, this world is not a comfortable place. As Simeon prophesied to Mary, Jesus was ‘destined to be a sign that is rejected.’(Luke 2:34) What about me? Do I merge seamlessly and comfortably with the values of this world? Do I hunger and thirst for anything? If the behaviour of the Beatitudes were a criminal offence, would I be in prison?"

I know that these questions challenged me as I read them this morning.

It is easy for me to slip into the world's way of doing things and focus on me... what am I going to make for dinner tonight, what am I going to buy with my clothing money this month, what do I need God to fix for me, do we "owe" God money from this month's budget (talk about having a misplaced heart when that thought crosses my mind!), etc.

For a time, it is more comfortable to focus on me... but I soon become dissatisfied with my life when I'm not hungering nor thirsting for anything real.

The more selfish I am, the more miserable I find myself. The only remedy is to hunger and thirst for the things of the Lord--the fruit of the Spirit, an attitude of humility, a desire to put others above myself.

So my prayer this morning is that Christ would be the center of my life today and that I would do everything with humility and a servant's heart. And if I can make it through today, by God's grace, maybe I'll be able to do the same tomorrow and break the cycle of "me."

Philippians 2:1-11