Fallen human nature defaults to self-interest. It isn’t that we’re all selfish, of course. Quite a few people learn to be generous and magnanimous in their relationships. But something in us longs for fulfillment and, when we fall short of it, focuses on getting it in any way possible. We are hungry and constantly on the search for someone or something that can feed us.
Jesus calls his followers to set that search aside and entrust it to God. He urges us to switch from feed-me mode to feed-you mode—deliberately turning outward, giving up our own agenda in order to fulfill the needs of others. That goes against our fallen instincts, but Jesus came to restore us from the fall. It only makes sense that radical changes would be necessary. This is one of the most radical.
It’s also one of the hardest—and one of the most rewarding. Jesus put it this way: “Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity” (John 12:25 NLT). Those who stop trying to feed their own emptiness and focus instead on satisfying the hunger in others and loving God will find the fulfillment they once longed for now and forever. It’s a really good deal for those who are bold enough to take it.
