The Bible has a lot to say about selflessness and living a life of service to others. Here is an overview of some of the key biblical principles regarding selflessness:
1. Put others before yourself
The Bible calls believers to look out for the interests of others and not just their own (Philippians 2:4). Jesus provided the ultimate example of this kind of self-sacrificial love by giving up his life to save humanity (John 15:13). Christians are exhorted to follow Christ’s example by esteeming others above themselves and meeting each other’s needs (Romans 12:10, Galatians 6:2).
Some key verses on putting others first include:
– “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)
– “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4)
– “Outdo one another in showing honor.” (Romans 12:10)
– “Through love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13)
2. Serve others in humility
The Bible instructs believers to serve others from a heart of humility rather than self-promotion. Jesus demonstrated this kind of servant leadership by washing his disciples’ feet, a menial task usually reserved for servants (John 13:1-17). Christians are called to serve wholeheartedly as if serving the Lord himself (Colossians 3:23-24).
Key verses on serving in humility include:
– “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)
– “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” (John 13:14)
– “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)
– “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant.” (Matthew 20:26)
3. Consider others’ needs and interests
The Bible teaches that Christians should be concerned not only for their own well-being, but for the needs and interests of others. Paul writes that believers should rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15). James says that pure religion consists of caring for widows and orphans in need (James 1:27).
Verses on considering others’ needs include:
– “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak.” (Romans 15:1)
– “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)
– “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15)
– “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction.” (James 1:27)
4. Love others unconditionally
The essence of the Christian life is to love God and love others. This love is to be selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional. Christ said his disciples would be known for how they loved one another (John 13:35). Paul wrote that love is patient, kind, unselfish, and hopes, believes, and endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
Key verses on unconditional love include:
– “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)
– “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:11)
– “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5)
5. Give generously to help those in need
An important way believers live out selfless love is through generous giving. Scripture exhorts Christians to give freely of their time, talents, and finances to help those in need (2 Corinthians 9:6-7). The early church shared possessions and resources so that no one was in need (Acts 4:32-35). Giving to the poor and needy is described as lending to the Lord himself (Proverbs 19:17).
Verses on generous giving include:
– “Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.” (Proverbs 22:9)
– “Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.” (Proverbs 14:31)
– “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” (Hebrews 13:16)
– “If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you.” (Leviticus 25:35)
6. Die to self and live for Christ
At the heart of the Bible’s call to selflessness is the invitation to die to self and live fully unto God. Jesus said that following him requires denying oneself, taking up one’s cross, and losing one’s life (Matthew 16:24-25). Paul wrote that he had been crucified with Christ so that he no longer lived, but Christ lived in him (Galatians 2:20). Self-centered living gives way to God-centered living.
Key verses on dying to self include:
– “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20)
– “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25)
– “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” (Romans 6:6)
– “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5)
7. Value others above material possessions
Living selflessly means rightly valuing people over things. Jesus warned against storing up treasures on earth at the expense of caring for those in need (Matthew 6:19-21). Materialism and greed are strongly condemned, while generosity to the poor is praised (Luke 12:33, 1 Timothy 6:10, 17-18). Believers are challenged to trust God to provide their needs as they seek first his kingdom.
Verses on valuing people over possessions:
– “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
– “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail.” (Luke 12:33)
– “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” (1 Timothy 6:10)
8. Practice true religion by caring for those in need
The Bible connects selflessness with authentic faith and religion practiced as God desires. True worship of God is tied to acts of mercy on behalf of the vulnerable. Isaiah condemns religious hypocrisy, saying true fasting involves liberating the oppressed (Isaiah 58:6-7). James defines pure religion as caring for widows and orphans (James 1:27).
Verses associating true religion with selfless service:
– “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?” (Isaiah 58:6-7)
– “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” (James 1:27)
– “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:14-17)
9. Follow Jesus’ example of self-sacrificial love
The ultimate model of selflessness found in Scripture is Jesus Christ. Though he was God, he emptied himself, taking on human flesh to serve and save the world (Philippians 2:5-8). Jesus submitted his own will to the Father and gave his life as a ransom for many (Luke 22:42, Mark 10:45). Christ’s self-sacrificial love and servant leadership is the supreme example believers are called to emulate.
Verses pointing to Jesus as the model of selflessness:
– “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:5-7)
– “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9)
– “And whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:44-45)
– “Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5 NIV)
10. Make sacrifices to serve God and others
The call to selflessness will require sacrifice. Jesus said his disciples must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him (Matthew 16:24). Paul described the Christian life as pouring oneself out as a drink offering to God (2 Timothy 4:6). Service often requires going without, expending energy, and bearing hardship for the sake of God’s purposes. But it leads to eternal reward and joy.
Verses on making sacrifices to serve:
– “I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.” (Colossians 1:24)
– “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.” (2 Timothy 4:6)
– “I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.” (2 Corinthians 12:15 KJV)
– “We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us – and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.” (1 John 3:16 NRSV)
In summary, the Bible calls followers of Jesus to a life of selflessness patterned after Christ’s sacrificial love. This involves humbly serving others’ interests above our own, meeting needs generously, and pouring ourselves out for the sake of God’s purposes. The self-centered life gives way to the God-centered life of selfless love.