This may come to us as a surprise but most Christians I know today are guilty of believing in what I call the selfish gospel. It’s not biblical by the way and sinful in nature for your information but strangely many people believe in this lie it’s alright. And what’s the worst most churches endorses this as it’s totally alright!
Strangely, Jesus mentions multiple times in many verses “Not love the world” (1 john 2:15), however sadly a lot of Christians pray for worldly things almost every single day? Is that even biblically even?
What’s The Selfish Gospel
Have you ever experienced when you are about to go to church, the first thing you have on your minds before even the service starts you would be planning and thinking the following:
- What to eat for lunch
- What plans do I have to enjoy myself this weekend
- I am so tired when is the service going to start
- Why am I even here
- God I have a need, I need help in my finance, health or loved ones
- God I need approval for HDB
- God I need approval for PR status
- God I need a lot of stuff
If you read carefully what is written above, what does all these request or thinking got to do with serving God? If seriously the only reason you come to church just so you get what you want and need than I would tell you might as well stay at home.
These are what I call selfish desires and needs. While there is nothing wrong to ask God for your needs but the issues is some Christians do it every Sunday and even worst for their ENTIRE LIFE as a Christian they only know how to receive and be blessed and do nothing for God!
Submission is never in their mind and that’s a big problem if you are not submissive to God today.
The selfish gospel is defined as a Christian who desires only things of the world and personal needs and goals but has no desire to serve God or obey God.
When You Ask Selfishly You Will Never Receive
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
You adulterous people,[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us[b]? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” – James 4:3-10
Among all the disciples, honestly I really love James a lot because what he shares are real practical issues and problems then even Christian today are guilty of doing.
And it is written very clearly by James when you ask with selfish intent, you will never receive. Even if you actually did it might not come from God but actually come from satan. Yeah you heard me right satan might be the one giving you the fake “blessings” that you just asked.
If you read what James just mention above, you will notice his real message is about submission. When was the last time you submit the outcome to God? Or are you insisting God only answer the way you wanted?
Praying for Worldly Needs Daily is Wrong!
You might disagree , because there are Christian today believe that because God love me so therefore you will bless me and it’s alright to pray for my personal needs.
Firstly, I am not saying you cannot pray for your personal needs. But what I am really saying is, you cannot do it in every prayer and you must learn to surrender the outcome to God and ask God for direction in your life. Why? Because Jesus said
“seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Mathew 6:33
Jesus did not say, go pray for your job , career, study, PR status, HDB, car, children first then all these you ask will be given to you. No leh…
He said seek first His kingdom leh! Is your job, career, study, HDB part of God’s kingdom at the first place?
Do you even read anywhere in the Bible Jesus or any disciple praying for their job? You will never read it! You know why?
Because they know who they are in Christ and they know what’s more important.
That is to be servants of God to serve Christ and not your personal needs today.
You see, if you know Christ like I do and read the Bible enough you will know that Jesus already knows what you needs and desire from your worldly needs even if you did not ask Jesus will still bless you without asking.
Jesus is not so interested in the amount of work you do for Him but He is more interested in the intent and time you spend daily to know Him in prayer and serving the body of Christ.
The BIG BIG issue is we simply past all the doing to the local pastor to do and we as member just seat around just only listen and give out time and money and only pray for our needs but forgot or even worst DO NOT CARE the needs of others or God even. That my friend is the selfish gospel!
Stop Being Selfish Today
My desire that I wrote this message is that you come to realize you are believing in the wrong tradition or fake selfish gospel. I pray you are convicted by this sharing and have a strong desire to serve God today.
Take some time today, maybe 5mins or 10mins go and pray and ask God for forgiveness on your selfishness. Start to submit all your worries and problems to Him and DO NOT I say again DO NOT demand the type of answer you want from God but instead learn to surrender and accept any answer that comes from God because He know what is best for you today.
After you pray, write it down and pray for strength and boldness to do what God called you today. Amen!