Listen

The attitude that comes from selfishness leads to death, but the attitude that comes from the Spirit leads to life and peace. So the attitude that comes from selfishness is hostile to God. It doesn’t submit to God’s Law, because it can’t. People who are self-centered aren’t able to please God.

But you aren’t self-centered. Instead you are in the Spirit, if in fact God’s Spirit lives in you. If anyone doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, they don’t belong to him. If Christ is in you, the Spirit is your life because of God’s righteousness, but the body is dead because of sin. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your human bodies also, through his Spirit that lives in you.

Romans 8:6-11

Think

I believe I am my favorite person on earth. Now, my Midwest sensibilities would never say this outright, but my behavior certainly would. I routinely have placed my own needs and wants before others, and this has harmed my relationships with family, friends, and colleagues.

Paul’s letter to the early churches in Rome points to a different way of being. We find our belonging in Christ Jesus when we let go of our selfishness. This doesn’t happen overnight, but can happen every day.

This is one of the tests we face in our lives as disciples — to answer the question, “Who am I living for?”

And we trust that when we fall short of this goal, God’s grace is there for us, and we will have further opportunities to find ourselves in Christ.

Dan Miglets-Nelson

Pray

Dear God, I know that everything I have is a gift from you.

Help me to be a good steward of your gifts: my time, my talent, and my treasure.

Help me to give to all who ask of me, and to better live in your Spirit.

Amen.

Go

Live today as a follower of Jesus, trusting in the promises of God.