Selfishness in Christian preaching highlights the sin of putting one's own desires above the needs of others, leading to discord and injustice. Illustrations often depict greed or unfair division, emphasizing the call to love and serve selflessly as taught in Philippians 2:3-4 and Acts 20:35.
Selfishness causes unfairness and conflict, illustrated by a story of dividing spoils.
A white man and an Indian, returning from a hunt, had a fine turkey and a carrion-buzzard to divide between them. Said the white man, "I will take the turkey, and you shall take the buzzard; or else you may take the buzzard, and I will take the turkey." — "Ah!" said the Indian, "you no say turkey for poor me once."
Selfishness is shown by a child greedily taking the largest apple from a shared plate.
A plate of apples was being passed to some children, when a little girl took a fine red one. Her next neighbor cried, "How greedy you are to take the largest! I meant to take that myself."
Boorishness stems from selfishness, shown by a groom's inconsiderate behavior at his wedding.
Boorishness is a product of selfishness far more than a product of ignorance; or at least a product of that ignorance which is in itself a product of selfishness. I was once at a wedding breakfast in a rural community in the West. The groom ate in silence the food that was set before him, dispatched his meal before the rest of us were more than half through, pushed back his plate, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and turning to his bride, said, “Well, Sally, you may as well get used to my way at the beginning, and I always leave the table when I have got through with my meal!” With these words he went out to pick his teeth on the door-steps, leaving his bride with a flushed face and a pained heart, the object of our commiseration. The man was a boor, you say. True! What made him a boor? The fact that he selfishly thought of his own comfort. It never entered his head to inquire whether his conduct would be agreeable or painful to his bride.--LYMAN ABBOTT, _The Chautauquan_.
Egoism leads people to ignore wrongdoing if it does not personally affect them.
It is Nietzsche’s philosophy that each man should care only for himself. This philosophy is applied in the following incident. Many still apply it in their social conduct:
It was no very unusual sight in China, to see a thief running for all he was worth, pursued by two or three vociferating men or lads. But the crowd always made way for the thief, and never a foot nor a hand was put out to stop him, “He did not rob me; why should I stop him?” (Text.)
Egotism is like a bird constantly calling 'Me! Me! Me!', showing self-centeredness.
Miss Gordon Cumming tells how she heard in Japan a bird which seemed to have for its sole note, “Me! Me! Me!” She and her party called it “the me-bird.”
There are numerous “me birds” that belong to the human family. They might also be called “ay, ay birds.”
Egotism can produce beauty inwardly but ugliness in relation to others.
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In Delhi once stood a temple whose ceiling was set with diamonds, and beneath which stood the throne of the divine peacock. The jewels in this temple were worth $30,000,000. On the marble pedestal of the throne, in Arabic, were these words, “If ever there were paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here.” But the facts are that this temple was built by poor slaves, many of whom died of starvation and cruelty while in the act of building it. This temple represents intensity without breadth. Treasures and education have been concentrated to produce an awful kind of egotism. Men and women have been known to be sublimely beautiful within themselves, but in relation to others ugly, hollow, and deformed, their narrowness grating rudely on the finer sensibilities. (Text.)--VYRNWY MORGAN, “The Cambro-American Pulpit.”
Acts that appear generous may be motivated by selfishness and cunning, not true kindness.
There is much that passes muster as acts of generosity which, if spiritually analyzed, would be found to be merely selfish policy, like that exercised by the spider:
The moment an ill-starred fly or other insect comes in contact with the net of the spider, it is sprung upon with the rapidity of lightning, and if the captured insect be of small size the spider conveys it at once to the place of slaughter, and having at its leisure sucked all its juice, throws out the carcass. If the insect be large and struggles to escape, the spider envelops its prey in a mesh of thread, and its legs and wings secured, it is conveyed to its den and devoured. But when a bee or large fly, too powerful to be mastered by the spider, gets entangled in its toils, then the wary animal, conscious of its incapacity to contend with such fearful odds, makes no attempt to seize or embarrass the victim. On the contrary, it assists the entangled captive in its efforts to free itself, and often goes so far as to break that part of the web from which it is suspended. This act has upon it the color of generosity, but it is really nothing more than the performance of selfish cunning. The tyrant, feeling himself incapable of doing an injury, determines to have no molestation. To this end he performs an act of manumission.
A child's misunderstanding reveals selfishness as valuing receiving over giving in church.
The boy in this anecdote had apparently not been taught that it is better to give than to receive:
“Well, Bobby, how do you like church?” asked his father, as they walked homeward from the sanctuary, to which Bobby had just paid his first visit.
“It’s fine!” ejaculated the young man. “How much did you get, father?”
“How much did I get? Why, what do you mean? How much what?” asked the astonished parent at this evident irreverence.
“Why, don’t you remember when the funny old man passed the money around? I only got ten cents.” (Text.)--_Lippincott’s Magazine._
Selfishness leads to betrayal, denial, and ruin despite initial good character.
Said Romola to Tito’s child, after calamity had overtaken him:
There was a man to whom I was very near, so that I could see a great deal of his life, who made almost every one fond of him, for he was young and clever and beautiful and his manners to all were gentle and kind. I believe, when I first met him, he never thought of anything cruel or base. But because he tried to slip away from everything that was unpleasant, and cared for nothing else so much as his own safety, he came at last to commit some of the basest deeds--such as make men infamous. He denied his father and left him to misery; he betrayed every trust that was reposed in him, that he might keep himself safe and get rich and prosperous.
That is the history of a man given over to his own selfishness.
A man refuses help to avoid losing selfish habits, even at risk of death.
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The Moslem mollah is notoriously reluctant to give anything away. A mollah had fallen into a large pool of water and was struggling for his life to reach the bank. “Give me your hand, oh my lord, and I will pull you out,” said a passer-by who had responded to the lusty cries for help. “No, indeed,” replied the mollah; “I have never yet given anything to any one, and I certainly will not begin now.” Not liking to leave the drowning man, his would-be rescuer, responding to a bright idea that occurred to him, said, “Will you take my hand, then, oh my lord?” “Gladly,” answered the mollah, and allowed himself to be drawn out of the pool, saving his life without losing his innate selfishness.
Unselfishness leads to blessing and protection, selfishness to stagnation and harm.
There was a stream gliding blithely and care free down a mountain-side in its course to the ocean. On the way it passed a stagnant pool, which asked whither it was going. The stream answered that it went to contribute its cup of water to the vast ocean. “Wait!” said the pool. “Why give up all your substance to the ocean, which has no need of it? Follow my example, and hold on tight to what you have. Soon the hot season will be around and the glaring sun will shrivel you up.” But the stream’s unselfishness forbade such a course, and it flowed merrily onward, while the pool gathered itself more closely together and settled down in its position of selfish ease and comfort. Presently the hot season came, and the sun scorched everything beneath its blazing heat. But the little stream flowed securely beneath an archway of overhanging trees, the leaves and branches of which made it immune from dangers and obstructions. And the sun peeped through the leaves and smiled upon it, saying that it could not harm such an unoffending thing. And the birds came to sip of its refreshing waters, while the sweet flowers bloomed along its side. The farmer in the field looked kindly upon it, the cows came to drink of it, and the stream pursued its way happily, blessing everything and being blest. But not so with the pool. The sun glared down on it, drying it up and making it repugnant and stagnant. And the breezes, kissing it by mistake, carried the unhealthy stench over the land, introducing malaria wherever it went. Everything shunned and avoided it, and because of its selfishness it was transformed into a murky, vile puddle, reeking with hurtful germs. But the stream emptied its water into the ocean, from which it was borne aloft into the clouds and carried back to the mountain summit whence it came, there to begin again its joyous course.
— S. G. WEISCOTTON
A fare ordinance reveals selfishness and kindness in public transit behavior.
The common council of Trenton, N. J., has passed an ordinance providing that all street-car passengers that can not get a seat need not pay their fares. The reason is, of course, that the company does not provide nearly enough accommodation for the public. Probably there is not a city in the United States where this condition does not exist. The profits of the street-car companies are largely augmented by patient strap-hangers. But, as to Trenton, the effect of this ordinance has been extraordinary.
Passengers that were consumed with ill-nature when they had to stand on a crowded car now let empty cars swish past them and patiently wait on the street corner until a full one comes along, on which they may ride free.
The ordinance has also exterminated the car boor. When a lady steps inside all the men in the car spring to their feet and offer her their seats. The conductor has to refund the fare of the man that loses his seat in this way. The amusing part of the situation, however, is that very often the lady wishes to stand herself, especially if she is economical.
The whole plan smacks of exasperation. The only good point about it is the fact that the council feels that something ought to be done to force a public-service company to serve the public. Some cities have tried the plan of a lower fare for the man that has to stand, which undoubtedly is the better plan.--RIPPLE, _Christian Endeavor World_.
Selfishness is exposed through a sarcastic reply to an unreasonable advertisement.
A hard bargainer sent the following advertisement to a paper: “A lady in delicate health wishes to meet with a useful companion. She must be domestic, musical, an early riser, amiable, of good appearance, and have some experience in nursing. A total abstainer preferred. Comfortable home. No salary.” A few days afterward the advertiser received by express a basket, labeled, “This side up, with care; perishable.” On opening it, she found a tabby cat with a letter tied to its tail. It ran thus:
“Madam, in response to your advertisement, I am happy to furnish you with a very useful companion, which you will find exactly suited to your requirements. She is domestic, a good vocalist, an early riser, possesses an amiable disposition, and is considered handsome. She has had great experience as a nurse, having brought up a large family. I need scarcely add that she is a total abstainer. As salary is no object to her, she will serve you faithfully in return for a comfortable home.” (Text.)
Wealth can smother sympathy and exalt selfishness, posing spiritual dangers.
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The danger of wealth lies in its tendency to smother sympathy and exalt selfishness.
Dr. W. B. Wright says that Henry Heine, the Jew, one of the most sparkling talkers in Europe, sat silent at a banquet until his Christian hostess asked, with some anxiety, “Why are you so dumb?” He answered, “I am studying a problem which I can not solve. I have been looking at these gold dishes, this fine linen, these splendid waiters, your great diamonds, and wondering what you Christians are going to do with the camel question.” (Text.)
Teaching children selfish saving hinders generosity and true stewardship of resources.
Down with the little toy savings-bank! I believe it teaches children to be selfish. I hate to see a child, a sweet, innocent child, with dimpled hands and a laughing face, clutch the penny or the nickel you give it close in its little fingers, and run first to drop it into the greedy, miserly “savings-bank,” and then come back to thank you. We teach the child to be selfish when we give it a penny to drop in the missionary-box and fifty cents to buy a toy for itself; to dole out a penny a week for charity and keep the savings-bank rattling full. But haven’t I a savings-bank in my home? Indeed I have; and I’d like to see you or any other man, except one of my dear friends the Vanderbilts, pour money into the top of that savings bank as fast as the prince can draw it out of the bottom. That’s the way to run a bank. Make her useful; milk her. “Mr. Speaker,” said the California legislator, “may I ask how much money there is in the State treasury?” The speaker estimated about $40,000. “Then,” said the member, “I move to rake her. What good does the money do locked up? If you don’t spend it, some alderman will get hold of it.”
— ROBERT BURDETTE
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