6 Character Traits of Christians Who Overcome Selfishness

Ever since Satan convinced Eve to place her desires above God's commands in the garden, he's been promoting pride and arrogance in the human race. 

When I scroll through “Christian posts” on social media, I'm regularly disappointed by messages emphasizing our significance and our desires instead of God's significance and desires.

⮞Narcissism is becoming more prevalent as people: 

(2 Timothy 3:1-5, 1 John 2:15-17)

1. Boast about themselves.
2. Refuse to confess mistakes, let alone their sins.
3. Have no respect for age or experience.
4. Value beauty, money, and power more than character.
5. Blame-shift. 
6. Compromise moral values.

Narcissism used to be a rare psychological problem, but this new form of narcissism is affecting many and giving them a destructive type of self-confidence.

⮞In contrast, God is looking for people who:

1. “Boast” about knowing Him (Jeremiah 9:23-24).
2. Accept correction (Proverbs 15:32).
3. Value the experience and wisdom of older Christians (Proverbs 23:22; Proverbs 30:11; 1 Timothy 5:1-2).
4. Value character and seek to develop it (Galatians 5:16-17).
5. Take personal responsibility, repenting of sin (1 John 1:9-10).
6. Refuse to conform to our culture (Romans 12:2).

These actions give us a healthy God-confidence.

We can't avoid the neo-narcissist voices in our culture, but we can reject them and seek a closer walk with the Lord. 💙 

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For more on this subject, check out the one-minute devotion The Pharisees Had High Self-Esteem. 

 

And check out the reasonably priced book Lies in Disguise. It offers wisdom about many of the half-truths that have infiltrated Christian teaching, such as the one briefly discussed in this devotion.

 

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Rejecting Propaganda About God from Government

The Pilgrims and Puritans fled to the U.S. to avoid persecution from the Church of England. Therefore, in the First Amendment, the U.S. Founding Fathers made it illegal to have a government-sponsored church.(1) 

The phrase “separation of church and state” was used to prevent government from limiting religious freedom. 

Biblical principles and Christian prayer guided the founding of our country, and the Bible was the basis for our laws. Not all leaders were Christians, but they all affirmed biblical concepts in government.(2)

James Talarico says he “hates how religion and politics have been fused” and claims we're forcing our religion down people's throats despite the “sacred separation in our First Amendment” (Talarico).(3)

And what specifically bothers Talarico? As we continue this series, you'll see that he wants Christians silenced regarding moral issues.

All laws are based on beliefs about right and wrong, and biblical principles are the most gracious and healthy of all beliefs (Psalm 19:7-8). If you doubt this, check out sharia law.(4) In fact, as the U.S. has moved away from biblical principles, our nation has declined morally and become less safe and loving (Romans 8:6-7).

May we never forget that “righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people” (Proverbs 14:34). 

There is no hope for a country that turns its back on the true and living God. Wherever you live, please pray for your country and speak up against propaganda like this.

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Footnotes

(1) First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

(2) Our Christian Roots: If you doubt that Christianity developed our country and many presidents unashamedly praised God's Word, check out this post with quotes from a number of presidents throughout history: The Book. And I also encourage you to read America the Prude.

(3) Universalism: Talarico's statements about separation of church and state are influenced by his belief that “Christians and Muslims and Jews all worship the same God” (source). He's not alone in denying this most basic Christian truth while identifying as a Christian (John 14:6; John 3:36; Acts 4:12; 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 John 5:11-12). And it further explains his desire to separate God from government. See Why Hoping All Men Will Be Saved Is a Sign of Unbelief. 

(4) Sharia Law: If you Google Sharia law, you will find that the propaganda far outweighs the truth. Propaganda has overtaken the internet in many ways. So be sure, when asking questions about Islam, you find articles written by ex-Muslims who've become Christian. For example: Ex-Muslim Woman on Life Under Sharia Law and Say No to Sharia Law and Nabeel Qureshi: Why I stopped believing Islam is a religion of peace.

If you want to better understand why I'm using Talarico's quotes in this series, see Let's Not Avoid Controversy. 

 

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Food for the Body and Food for the Soul

People choose restaurants for various reasons: location, menu, cost, cleanliness…

But a major reason customers become “regulars” at a particular restaurant is based on the way they are treated.

“While delicious food and a pleasant ambiance are important, exceptional customer service is the true differentiator that can set a restaurant apart from its competitors. Great service goes beyond mere politeness; it involves creating a welcoming atmosphere, anticipating customer needs, and ensuring that every guest feels valued and appreciated.” (source)

This shouldn’t surprise us. After all, friendliness includes many of the qualities God calls fruit of the Spirit—food for our souls: 

“The fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23, AMP

These attitudes attract attention, and when we display them regularly, people are more apt to listen when we talk about our faith. This doesn’t mean we avoid unpopular aspects of the gospel in order to please people. It means we share those truths as graciously as possible.

 

It means we're motivated by God's love, a love that desires to see others saved, directed, and comforted by our wonderful Savior.

We know we have the best food for their souls, so let’s share it with healthy fruit … the fruit of God’s Spirit.  

 

For more “soul food,” see  Are You Spiritually Healthy and Why the Bible Is Like Dark Chocolate.

 

Free Subscription to 1-Minute Bible Love Notes. Have a one-minute devotion like this one delivered to your email each weekday.

10 Reasons You'll Love the Book Wisdom for Life. A collection of 100 one-minute devotions from Psalms and Proverbs and a great gift for people who love God's Word.

Full Description of the Book Lies in Disguise. A much-needed book to uncover half-truths that misuse Scripture and weaken Christian faith.

 

 

 

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Rejecting Propaganda about Christ's Mission

In Propaganda about Christ's Position, we discussed James Talarico's statement: “Not once in the entire Bible does Jesus ask us to worship him. All he asks is that we follow him. Love like He loved. Love the outcast. Welcome the stranger.” 

Perhaps Talarico downplayed worshiping Christ because he believes “Christians and Muslims and Jews all worship the same God.” (source) That's probably why he only mentioned loving the outcast and welcoming the stranger. 

Helping the needy is important (Matthew 25:35-40), but it isn't the focus of Christ's mission.

Jesus loved people enough to tell them to repent (Matthew 3:2; Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:15; Luke 13:3). He said those who refuse to believe in Him will die in their sins (John 8:23-24). He proclaimed He is the only way of salvation, and New Testament writers confirmed this truth: John 14:6; John 3:36; Acts 4:12; 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 John 5:11-12.

Many hated Jesus because he testified that their works were evil (John 7:7). If we follow Him and love as He loved, many will hate us too (John 15:18-19). 

Loving like Jesus loves means speaking against laws that promote evil (e.g., killing the unborn and promoting destructive sexual lifestyles). It means warning people of sin and Hell and helping them understand Jesus is the only way of salvation.

“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Matthew 16:26

An accurate description of Christ's mission must include these things which are central to the gospel.

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Christianity has a great heritage of helping the needy: Romans 12:13—Helping the Needy. But please beware of this popular lie that minimizes Christianity to helping with physical needs. This is very much like the “He Gets Us” Ministry: See Super Bowl Commercials Present False Christ for an in-depth look at this lie. 

If you want to better understand why I'm using Talarico's quotes in this series, see Let's Not Avoid Controversy.  

 

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Rejecting Propaganda about Christ's Position

Propaganda is misleading many Christians.

In this series, I'll share popular lies and how to respond to them biblically. 

Today we'll address the first half of a popular lie presented by James Talarico, who claims to be a Christian. He's an excellent spokesman for many popular lies-in-disguise.

“Not once in the entire Bible does Jesus ask us to worship him. All he asks is that we follow him. Love like He loved. Love the outcast. Welcome the stranger.” James Talarico

The first sentence in this quote is true, but it's typically used to deny Christ's deity or claim Christ didn't want to be worshiped. Let's address both claims.

First: Scripture clearly condemns worshiping anyone except God (Deuteronomy 8:19; Exodus 34:14). Jesus Himself confirmed this truth: “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only” (Luke 4:8).

 

Second: Jesus confirmed His deity, saying, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). 

Third: Jesus frequently accepted worship without rebuking anyone who gave it.*

Disciples (Matthew 14:33 and 28:17)

Women at the tomb (Matthew 28:9)

Man born blind (John 9:38)

Leper (Matthew 8:2)

Jairus (Matthew 9:18)

Canaanite woman (Matthew 15:25)

Thomas (John 20:28)

In addition, the wise men worshiped Jesus (Matthew 2:11). 

Conclusion: While not specifically asking for worship during His earthly life, Jesus confirmed its importance and confirmed His deity by accepting worship. 

So why did Talarico say it in a quote about Christ's position and purposes? We’ll discuss that in tomorrow's devotion.

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Because Christ's deity is so often denied by cults and false religions, I encourage you to read and bookmark these two devotions: Make Sure You Know the Passages that Confirm Christ's Deity and More Proof of Christ's Deity and of the Trinity.

* Some of the verses in this list simply say the person knelt down before Christ, and others say they worshiped Him. All verses except John 20:28 use the Greek word proskuneó, which means to worship or kneel in worship. And in John 20:28, Thomas worships by acknowledging Jesus as his Lord and God.

If you want to better understand why I'm using Talarico's quotes in this series, see Let's Not Avoid Controversy.   

 

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Joy Is Healthy and Fun — Part 2

In our first collection, Joy Is Healthy, we shared three one-minute devotions, and this collection shares more healthy truths about biblical joy. 

God Created Laughter

God created laughter for our benefit, and this short devotion shares five reasons it's good for us. 

 

Giggles

This one-minute devotion encourages you to ponder the silly question: “Does God get the giggles?” Enjoy! 

 

 Choose Your Wrinkles

There are the right kind of wrinkles and the wrong kind, and Scripture encourages us to choose the right kind. 

 

 

Don't miss these other collections in the Joy in Jesus series:

Joy in Jesus Is Healthy — Part 1
Enjoy these three one-minute devotions and discover how biblical joy can make you healthier!!

💙 If you enjoy one-minute devotions like these, please check out the Bible Love Notes devotional Wisdom for Life. It features one-minute devotions from Psalms and Proverbs and is for sale at Lifeway and Amazon.

And please sign up for a free email subscription to Bible Love Notes online devotions HERE. 

 

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Let's Not Avoid Controversy

This week I got feedback from two readers about the Propaganda Dictionary. One said I was wrong to share politics in my devotions. The other asked what she could do when her Bible study refused to let her share how Talarico's political claims contradicted Scripture. 

 

We need to understand that our Christian faith is important in every aspect of life, including politics.

 

I'm featuring Talarico in this series because he is a prolific source of propaganda but it's not simply propaganda: It's specific claims about  what the Bible teaches, what Jesus taught, how Jesus lived, and what Bible-believing Christians believe. He is telling lies about our faith to promote ungodly laws that break God's heart. 

You'll discover more of his claims as this series unfolds.

 

Please note that I am not addressing Talarico's personal lifestyle. If I were examining personal lifestyles, I could find worse candidates than Talarico. But a candidate's lifestyle isn't as important to our nation as the platform he promotes, the way he votes on moral issues, and the laws he enacts. Bad men can promote good laws and good men can promote bad laws. If I vote for a likeable candidate who promotes laws that violate God's commands, I place a personality above the well-being of my country.

So before continuing my devotions using Talarico quotes, I want to highlight our responsibility as Christians:

 

It's important to God that we speak truth graciously, without mockery, profanity, or sarcasm, (Colossians 4:6; 1 Peter 3:14-17), but we're commanded to “contend for the faith” (Jude 1:3).  
 

Philippians 1:27-28 tells us to strive for the gospel “without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.”
 

2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.” 

 

Colossians 2:8 warns us not to be taken captive “through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.”
 

If someone uses Scripture to promote things which mock Scripture, we must speak up. I pray my devotions using Talarico quotes will help you do that.

 

And please check out Lies in Disguise. It's a book that can help you discern lies in every area of life: Lies in Disguise. 

 

 

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What Scripture Means by "Love" Your Neighbor

The word “love” has different meanings in Scripture.

For example:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40 

We're told to love God with heart, soul, and mind...fully, wholeheartedly, above all others (Luke 14:26).

We're told to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. 

This is perhaps the most misunderstood form of love. Psychology tells us we should have warm, fuzzy feelings about ourselves, think highly of ourselves, and demand that others treat us with respect.

If that were true, we'd have to adore our neighbors. 

But loving our neighbor as ourselves is the kind of love that treats all people with respect, helping them if they're in need, treating them humanely with grace and kindness. This love means doing to others what we'd want them to do to us (Matthew 7:12).

We don't even have to like our neighbor to do this. We can “love” our enemies with this kind of love (Matthew 5:44; Romans 12:20-21). 

Love for God is unique, a love that is based on His perfection and goodness, a love that causes us to obey His commands (John 14:15). Love for ourselves and for others is based on forgiveness and grace, knowing we are all imperfect sinners.

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This misunderstanding of love for neighbor leads to another misunderstanding explained here: Most Misused Scripture by Self-Esteem Advocates.

 

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Rejecting the Propaganda Dictionary

Twisting language is a key to successful propaganda. For example:

“I was told that if you wanted to be a Christian, you had to hate gay people.… You had to want to control women.… You had to reject science.” James Talarico

In this quote, Talarico shares a series of popular cultural lies. 

To understand them, we need a “propaganda dictionary”:

Hate – Believing in God's commands about sins that damage people's souls.  

“The one who keeps God’s commands lives in [God], and he in them.” 1 John 3:24

Controlling women – Rescuing unborn babies and preventing women from lifelong guilt. (See More Than One Victim.)

“Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.” Proverbs 24:11-12

Science – The unprovable theory of evolution; the dangerous, unscientific claims about gender; the excuse that life begins nine months after it began. 

“In the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.… They deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed.” 2 Peter 3:3-7 

Why do so many people in our world believe the “propaganda dictionary”?

“The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 2:14

Language is a powerful tool for good or bad, and Satan loves blinding people to the light of Christ. More than ever before, we must be alert and discerning!!  

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I encourage you to read about one of many news networks that are helping to spread propaganda: BBC Splices Truth. We must learn to check everything we hear!

Note: Over the next few weeks, I'm sharing a series on “rejecting propaganda,” and I'll be addressing James Talarico's statements in this series. My goal is much broader than simply focusing on the errors of one political candidate. My prayer is that this series will give Christians resources to refute these oft-repeated lies-in-disguise. And Talarico is an excellent spokesperson for propaganda about Christianity, so I'll be using his quotes to address them. 

Pictures of Talarico

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Let's Grow Up!

To watch/listen to Gail share this devotion on YouTube, see Let's Grow Up!

 

A Christian once told me, “If you knew MY parents, you'd understand why I don't honor them.”

 

This attitude is prevalent in our culture—and it's increasing among Christians, whether they openly admit it or not.

 

But God doesn't give us the power to decide when to apply His commands, and He offers no exceptions to His fifth commandment. See note at bottom.*

 

Whether we like it or not, our attitude toward our parents reflects our attitude toward God. 

 

1. When we refuse to move past our family difficulties, we doubt God's ability to use all things for good (Romans 8:28). 

 

2. When we judge our parents harshly without taking responsibility for our sins, we become hypocrites (Matthew 7:1-4). 

 

3. When we refuse to forgive our parents, we become bitter (Ephesians 4:31-32).

 

4. When we ignore the command “Honor your father and mother” (Ephesians 6:2-3), we damage our well-being (Exodus 20:1-17).

 

“As a noun, honor in the Bible means ‘esteem, value, or great respect.’ To honor someone is to value him highly or bestow value upon him. The Bible exhorts us to express honor and esteem toward certain people: our parents, the aged, and those in authority (Ephesians 6:2; Leviticus 19:32; Romans 13:1).” (source)

 

Even if you aren't neglecting, rejecting, or resenting your parents, examine your heart and ask God if you're truly honoring them. 

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I strongly encourage you to do the short Bible study with this devotion. You'll find it HERE. And check out these other helpful one-minute devotions on this subject: 

Takers & Givers

Underestimated Command

I also encourage you to check out the Wisdom for Life devotional. It contains 100 one-minute devotions to challenge, encourage, instruct, and inspire your love for God's Word: Wisdom for Life. Read the story behind Wisdom for Life HERE. And find out about the two free Bible studies with purchase HERE. You can read the first four devotions in the book by clicking “look inside” on Lifeway or Amazon.

 

I also encourage you to sign up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes and get a free e-booklet. Find out more HERE.

 

* Note: This devotion does not address children who have been physically or sexually abused by parents. They must seek godly Christian counsel in handling their relationship with their parents. But I'm talking about genuine abuse. If your parents are annoying or difficult or non-affirming, that is not abuse. Those are things that adult Christians learn to handle with the Lord's help. Don't buy into the victim mentality promoted by many psychologists. Instead, grow up in your faith!

 

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