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You are here: Home / Archives for selfish

Unexpected Tears

February 20, 2019 By admin

“Don’t touch anything without your gloves on!” shouted our trip leader.

A group of us inhaled one last deep breath of fresh air before entering another moldy home. Dinner time was approaching, my energy was vanishing, and the last thing I wanted to do was haul out loads of grungy items. Within ten minutes, I was covered in sweat. This was not my idea of a relaxing Spring Break.

I was a young, outgoing, and single-minded teenager. My view of Spring Break consisted of going to the beach, and shopping, instead here I was doing this grimy, dirty work.

“Jana, are you just going to stand there? I need help carrying this bed-frame outside,” a classmate of mine said.

I snapped out of my daydream, yet could not shake off my grouchy mood. Instead of working hard, I kept thinking about my friends enjoying their break without me. I obviously did not want to be cleaning out filthy houses in New Orleans! The true reason I agreed to participate? Because I still needed community service hours to meet school requirements.

Hurricane Katrina had taken place months before our visit, but New Orleans still needed desperate help. Each home we entered reeked, making my eyes burn and stomach churn. The waterline reached clear up to the ceiling in most the homes. Piles of individual’s belongings were smothered in grime. Our job consisted of clearing everything out, and then completely gutting the house.

I walked into a bedroom and started to clean out the closet. I reached into the closet, grabbed a mangled up jacket, and instantly froze in my tracks. I owned that exact same jacket. The room felt eerie, lonely, and cold, it was just me and that jacket. As I peered into the closet, I saw numerous items that were just like mine. How would I feel if my closet had been destroyed? Tears immediately sprang to my eyes. In that moment of silence, I thanked God for what I do have.

People’s belongings, memories, and meaningful items were washed away in hurricane Katrina. There I stood, observing the destruction firsthand. I became ashamed with my self-indulgence, begging God to veer me away from my egocentric viewpoint.

I knew God had put me in that moldy room at that exact moment. He knew how stubborn I was being. Through Him I learned to see the world through a whole new perspective, and appreciate the blessings He has provided.

Jana Kubrock Carter writes from the Pacific Northwest.

The post Unexpected Tears appeared first on Answers for Me.

Read more at the source: Unexpected Tears

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Answers for Me.

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Filed Under: News and Feeds, Vegetarian recipes Tagged With: answers for me, beach, closet, destruction, homes, house, most-the-homes, pacific, selfish, story-harvest, upset, willing to help

The Problem of Predation

August 14, 2018 By admin

by Richard W. Coffen  |  14 August 2018  | “Nothing, save the selfish heart of man . . . lives unto itself. No bird that cleaves the air, no animal that moves upon the ground, but ministers to some other life.”[1]—Ellen White, The Desire of Ages

Read more at the source: The Problem of Predation

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Adventist Today.

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Filed Under: Adventist Today, News and Feeds Tagged With: cleaves-the-air, desert-speaks, desire, ellen white, ground, life, lives-unto, moves-upon, richard, selfish, selfish-heart, the-ground

Givers or Takers

July 12, 2017 By admin

Photo by Pexel

There are two kinds of people in this world. Either they are the givers or they are takers. The difference between them is amazing and certainly worth thinking about. 

The givers are always looking for ways to help another person whether it’s by giving of themselves physically, emotionally, financially or relationally. When our children were young we wanted to teach them about the word “benevolent” which means to give to another without expecting any financial or appreciative gain. When they were teens, we took them down to the inner city to a place called “Baloney Joes,” where the homeless find shelter and a hot meal. Our kids volunteered in serving those meals and even though they were not expecting anything in return they were surprised to be blessed by the sincere appreciation from the people they served. It was then that they learned about the blessing of giving. As our children grew into adults they chose careers that minister to and help others. The world needs more “disinterested benevolence,” the kind of example that Jesus gave of His life.

The takers on the other hand, have careers or a life that does the opposite. They expect others to always be giving to them. They are usually materialistically minded, seeking what they can get without much effort. Houses, property, cars, clothes and money are of utmost importance! They appear to be “empty vases,” beautiful on the outside and hollow on the inside. In observing one woman’s full life until her death, we saw that she was a taker. Throughout her lifetime she acquired inherited property, new cars, several houses, fashionable clothes and wasn’t afraid to use important peoples names to advance herself. In reading her written life story we noticed that she did not have a positive relationship with her husband, children or the Lord. As she was dying, she was unhappy and unsatisfied because she realized that she couldn’t take her material possessions with her. Her life was over and she ended up with nothing. Danny Thomas said, “The takers may eat better, but the givers sleep better.”

Many couples find separation in their marriage because one of them is a giver and one is a taker. The giver works hard towards having a good relationship and carries the main load of life while the taker tags along, never happy and always wanting more. The takers are selfish, vain and greedy while the givers are selfless, contented and sharing. The Dead Sea is the Dead Sea, because it continually received and never gives.

One day we were making our regular pastoral visits to church members and when we called ahead to make our next visit, the husband surprisingly blurted out on the phone, “we were just going to have some strawberry shortcake but we don’t have enough for you.” When we arrived the wife tried to politely offer us some strawberries and of course we hesitated as to how to answer. A giver would share their last strawberry but a taker would begrudge parting with even one berry.

At one of our church potlucks, a fashionably dressed couple who never contributed food but always showed up to eat, approached me with an unbelievable question, “Do you think we need to go to the car and get our can of olives for the potluck?” Jesus taught us to serve others. He knows the giver will receive the greatest blessing. To serve and give is to be happy! The takers are not usually happy or satisfied. Jesus said, “It is better to give than to receive.” Here’s a little test to know if a person is a giver or a taker. Surprise them with a small, thoughtful gift and watch carefully for their first reaction. If they show a phony, disgusted or unhappy look, they are most likely a taker. But if they show genuine and sincere appreciation, they probably are a giver.   

Believe it or not, a gambler is a taker. They have an attitude of getting something for nothing and all the while don’t see that they are throwing their life’s savings away, hoping for the “big take.” Have you ever observed a taker family waiting for the “big take” from a dead relative’s inheritance? It’s a horrible and ugly sight to see the greed coming out of the closet. The taker likes to get something for nothing and will stop at nothing to get what they think they deserve. Dishonesty, lies, manipulation and anger come out for all to see. A true Christian doesn’t go there. To the Christian, relationships are more important than money or material possessions. Seek joy in what you give, not in what you get.

If we look back biblically to the beginning of time, we read that this problem started in heaven when Lucifer wanted to take over God’s position. As a God created angel, Lucifer wanted more. He was unhappy and unsatisfied and wanted to have it all. He wanted to be God! That first sin in heaven started the separation between takers and givers. God gives us freedom of choice everyday to decide if we want to be a taker or a giver. God’s love is unlimited and unconditional, that we are truly loved, right here, right now just the way we are. God’s gift of Jesus’ life of serving, His death and His resurrection secured our salvation and is what brings conviction and converts the heart from a taker to a giver.

Are you a giver or a taker? It’s your choice!
Cathy Corwin writes from the Pacific Northwest.

Read more at the source: Givers or Takers

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Spiritual applications.

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Filed Under: News and Feeds, Spiritual applications Tagged With: answers, answers for me, children, church, dear-god, jesus, marriage, myspace, open, selfish

Moving Forward: Considerations for Adventists

June 11, 2017 By admin

Seventh of an 8-part Series By Cleran Hollancid, June 11, 2017:       The magnanimous and incomprehensible love of God is waiting to be revealed in us.

Read more at the source: Moving Forward: Considerations for Adventists

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Adventist Today.

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Filed Under: Adventist Today, News and Feeds Tagged With: awesomeness, cleran, cleran-hollancid, harsh-world, imagine-the-awesomeness, our-selfish, power-unleashed, selfish, sick-world, the-awesomeness

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