Sin Grows from the Seeds of Selfishness
By Rick Warren
“There will be more and more evil in the world, so most people will stop showing their love for each other.” Matthew 24:12 (NCV)
Someone once asked Jesus, “What’s the most important command in Scripture?” He replied, “There are two of them: Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.”
If those are God’s two most important commands, then their opposite—not loving God and not loving your neighbor—is sin. Sin is always unloving.
Matthew 24:12 says, “There will be more and more evil in the world, so most people will stop showing their love for each other” (NCV). Have you noticed that today? People in general have become more critical, less civil, and ruder than ever. Why? Because as sin increases, love decreases.
Sin is unhelpful, unhealthy, unfair, unwise, untruthful—and it is always selfish.
We often tell ourselves we’re doing something for the benefit of others when we’re really doing it for our own benefit. The Bible says, “Wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind” (James 3:16 NLT). At the root of every sin is self-centeredness.
Why are you here on earth? God did not make you to live for yourself. You were made for something far bigger than that.
You were made by God and for God, and until you understand and believe that, life’s never going to make sense. God didn’t create you so you could center your life on yourself and push other people to the side. You were made to know God, enjoy him, have a friendship with him, serve him, and center your life on him.
Whatever you build your life around is your god, whether it’s your boat or your business or a sport or another person.
God wants you to center your life on him, but sin will always put the focus back on you. Choose love. Where love is abundant, selfishness will not grow.
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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