LIVE A SELFLESS LIFE

Dearly Beloved,

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:5-8 NKJV).

The life and death of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (1918 – 2013) have a bundle of lessons to humankind. Here was a man who selflessly fought for rights of his countrymen and spent 27 years in prison on this account. At the end of Apartheid, he became the elected President of South Africa, and he voluntarily stepped down after a single term of five years. During his reign, he did not lift a finger against his political enemies and resisted pressure to go for revenge against the minority White racists who introduced and practised Apartheid against the majority Black people. He did not use his position as president to amass wealth or have undue influence on his political party and the country. After he stepped down as president, he remained an accessible and easy-going man advocating world peace. No wonder, he became a reference point for peace and reconciliation, and the whole world mourn and celebrate his death.

Mandela was one of those people that lived a selfless and sacrificial life in this generation. Other people that come to mind were Mother Theresa and Martin Luther King, Jr. However, Jesus Christ surpassed them all. He was (and still is) God and “by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers” (Colossians 1:16 NKJV). In spite of this, He made Himself of no reputation by “taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:7-8 NKJV). No wonder, “God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians2:9-11 NKJV). God is still exalting such people that put the interest of others above theirs.

Do you have a selfless life? Are you living for yourself and your self-interest or are you living a selfless life that is ready to sacrifice self-interest for the interest of other people? It really pays to live a selfless life.

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Prayer Point: Pray for the mind of Christ that will enable you to live a selfless life.

This message is dedicated to Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (1918 – 2013) who epitomized a selfless life in this modern day.

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