Other-Centered Living
Today's Three-minute Bible Study
Print, Study and Apply
Title: Other-Centered Living--------------------------------- Date: 6/18/2000
Keywords:
"conceit" "humility" "others"
"selfish"
Welcome
to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual
temptation.
Passage: Philippians 2:3-4*
3. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in
humility consider others better than yourselves.
4. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also
to the interests of others.
Questions
1. Whose interests are you pursuing when you look at pornographic
websites?
2. What is your attitude toward the people in pornographic
images?
3. Is it really in your own interest to spend your time that
way?
Practical help
Paul puts his finger here on a core problem for everyone:
selfishness. It would be interesting somehow to strap on a meter that would measure the
quantity of time we spend going after things intended to make ourselves happy, and compare
that to the time we spend trying to make others' lives better. How would we rate?
To be fair to the scripture, Paul doesn't say not to spend time
looking after your own interests. In Verse 4, he allows for that, saying that our own
needs are important, but should not become the all-in-all for how we live our lives. And,
a sober look at what are our real interests would not likely come back with the conclusion
that pornography helps to meet a real, legitimate personal need.
When considering your struggle with internet porn, or any other
besetting sin, it should be helpful to think about it from the perspective of all the
people involved, and not just yourself. Do you think of the "others" in those
photos as being better than yourself? Are you married, and if so, what about the interests
of your spouse? If not married, do you have significant relationships that are violated,
friends that would be deeply offended and hurt to know that some of your day is spent in
that way?
As you finish reading this, try to think of one thing you can go and
do, right now, that would be completely selfless and other-centered. OK, now go and do it.
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*Scriptures are from The Holy Bible: New International Version © Copyright 1973,
1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved.