Think Unselfishly. Give Anonymously.

Paul writes: ‘Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don’t just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and in what they are doing. Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus.’ (Philippians 2:3–5 TLB) Becoming more unselfish begins with the decision to stop thinking about yourself so much and start looking for ways to help others. If you want to become more Christlike and unselfish, start doing these two things:

(1) Put yourself in situations where people have needs. Is that risky? Sure. You risk rejection. You risk being misunderstood. You risk making mistakes. But becoming unselfish requires putting yourself in a position where you can see a person’s need and do something about it. In other words, get involved!

(2) Give quietly or anonymously. Jesus said: ‘Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in Heaven… Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.’ (Matthew 6:1–4 NLT) It’s easier to give when you receive recognition than when no one knows about it. But those who give for recognition and applause have already received any reward they will get (see Matthew 6:2). There are spiritual, mental and emotional benefits that come to those who give anonymously. Try it. The fulfilment you’ll receive will encourage you to make it part of your lifestyle.