Selflessness

Selflessness—It’s Possible (Through Christ)

When I think of the word selfless, my brain immediately wants to break it down: self and less. “Self” is easy to grasp—because I am self. But less? That’s a harder word to accept in a world where we’re always striving for more. And when paired with “self,” it becomes even less appealing. Why would I want less of me?

But there’s something worth considering. The opposite of selfless is selfish. And selfishness has an ugly definition: a person, action, or motive lacking consideration for others, focused chiefly on personal profit or pleasure. The truth is —if we’re not primarily concerned about others, then our focus is on ourselves. It’s our default setting . Our nature pushes us to place ourselves first and others second. That’s exactly what Paul points out in his letter to the Philippians: “For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Christ.” (Philippians 2:21). He is basically saying to the Philippians, you guys are selfish, this is not something that was unique to the Philippians, in this age , we  too tend to care  for our own interests. 

So,   what are the interests of Christ—and what are the interests of self?

 Our natural instinct is to fight for self-preservation and self-benefit. Whether it’s our time, money, space, or energy, we want it primarily for ourselves. And if or when we do give it to others, it’s usually those who benefit us in return. So when we’re called to be selfless, it often feels uncomfortable, maybe even threatening.

But Christ is different. He was selfless, more concerned with the needs of others than his own. He didn’t cling to equality with God. Instead, He emptied Himself, taking on the form of a servant. He humbled Himself—even to the point of death. And why? For our sake—so we could be restored to God. Jesus' entire earthly ministry was centered on others. He left the glory and comfort of heaven to serve us. Why did He do all this? For the glory of His Father. Jesus understood something we often forget—or even when we understand it, we struggle to live it out. He was always willing to die to self because it brought glory to God. That was His ultimate concern. If we are in Christ, we’re called to the same mindset. In John’s gospel, Jesus tells His disciples:

“Love one another as I have loved you.”

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:12–13)

 Jesus did that for us—literally—when He died on the cross. Most of us probably won’t have to die for someone else, but we do have daily opportunities to “die to self” in small ways. We can put others first, prioritize their needs, and become servants to them—just as Christ was to us .What that looks like will vary for each of us, but the call is the same: live selflessly—not for our glory, but for God’s. He, being God, left heaven’s majesty to serve us. And not just any service—He humbled Himself to the point of death, and not just any death, but death on a cross: the most humiliating kind of death. All so we could be saved from sin and restored to a relationship with God.

You might be thinking, “But Jesus is God. That’s why He could do all this.” That’s a fair point. But remember—Jesus was born of a woman. He took on human flesh and faced the same temptations we do.   And yet, He did not sin, he instead lived a life of selfless servanthood. Beyond Jesus, Scripture gives us examples of ordinary people who placed their faith in Christ—and their selflessness reflected that. In Philippians 2, Paul begins by reminding us of Christ’s humility and selflessness, urging us to imitate Him as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling. He then gives us examples of men like Timothy and Epaphroditus—ordinary people who, because of their faith in Christ, genuinely cared for others’ interests above their own.

It’s worth noting Paul’s own context—he was in prison when he wrote this letter. Despite his harsh circumstances, he wasn’t consumed with his own needs. Instead, he expressed deep concern for the Philippians, prayed for them, and encouraged them to live selflessly. Even in chains, Paul modeled Christlike humility and service.

We should pray that God helps us recognize the moments when we fail to be selfless so that we can repent, .Ultimately , the truth is: we can’t do this on our own .Apart from Christ, we default to our natural state of selfishness. We need to continually come to Him, acknowledging our need, asking for transformation, and trusting Him to make us more like Himself. Without Christ, if I’m honest. I  don’t know how often I default to selfishness, thinking of myself is what often takes first place. But selflessness isn’t just possible with Christ—it becomes our new nature through Him. It is him who allows us to be selfless , like all other good things, this also flows from   his  work in us. He makes us more aware of our shortcomings and through his word and his Holy Spirit, he sanctifies us.

So maybe “less of me” isn’t something to resist after all. In Christ, less of self means more of Him—more grace, more joy, more glory for God. Selflessness isn’t natural, but through Jesus, it becomes not only possible, but beautiful.

 May we keep looking to Him, asking daily for hearts that reflect his,