A Time to be Selfish (Temporarily)
I’ve only flown commercially a handful of times, but, on those rare occasions when I have, I have found one of the “preflight instructions” to be interesting. If I remember correctly, passengers are told that, in the event of an incident that causes the oxygen masks to drop down, they are to put on their own masks first.
I suppose that some might see that instruction as selfish, but there is actually a practical side to this. The instructions are not given so that a person can take care of himself/herself and ignore the needs of others. Instead, they are given in order that others might be assisted. A person who is in distress would have a difficult time helping somebody else who is in distress.
It is interesting to me that something somewhat similar takes place as we read the book of Acts. As you may remember, the people who heard the first gospel sermon preached after our Lord returned to heaven were told, “…Save yourselves from this untoward/crooked generation” (Acts 2:40).
If I had been among the number of people who heard those words on that day, I would have understood that my own personal sins would need to be forgiven. In other words, I would hope that I would not have pointed a finger at others or would not have waited for somebody else to act. Instead, I would hope that I would have been among those whose care about my own salvation would have led to my baptism on that day (cf. Acts 2:41).
In one sense, people need to see the need to be somewhat selfish about their own salvation. After all, as we think of the earthly ministry of Jesus, we will find that the emphasis was on individual decisions about Him and commitment to Him. “Groupthink” led to His crucifixion; not to discipleship.
It would be good, though, to remember that we would not be following the examples of the Lord’s early followers as we read the book of Acts or the epistles. As we read those books, we find people who did not view the good news of salvation as something to be kept to themselves. They knew that the gospel was to be shared; not stored.
It doesn’t take too long to get from the events recorded in Acts 2 to those recorded in Acts 8. By this time, those early Christians were suffering a great deal of persecution. This resulted in them being scattered to various places. Even in this dangerous environment, they, “…went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4).
The concern that these early Christians had for their own souls and even their concern for their physical safety did not cause them to turn inward and think only of themselves. They now had something and knew something that others desperately needed to have and know. They had a relationship with Jesus and knew how others could have that same relationship. Even the terrible persecution they were experiencing could not keep them from taking that good news to others.
A passenger on an airplane needs to make access to oxygen a priority for himself/herself. He or she does not, however, need to think that helping others will diminish his/her chances of survival. If the plane is properly equipped, there should be plenty of the needed resources for everybody.
Similarly, as we sometimes sing, “The gospel is for all.” The message of Jesus is intended for “…all nations… (Matt. 28:19; Luke 24:47) or “…all the world…” (Mark 16:16).
A person cannot remain selfish and accomplish the plan of Jesus. Only selfless people can.
We might all need to consider how Jesus the mission of Jesus is described and its designed purpose in this verse:
[Jesus] gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for
Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works.
(Titus 2:14)
AUTHOR: Jim Faughn
