Self-Absorbed Christian

Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts?  Malachi, Chapter 3, verse 14.

Boy! Are we ever an “I-Me” population, looking out for ourselves as a “What’s In It for Me Christian?”  My impression is that God wants unconditional love.  He doesn’t want Christians who are only doing it to look good to other members of society.  He doesn’t want Christians who are doing it to reap the many rewards God gives His followers.  He wants Christians who genuinely love and follow Him and His Word, regardless of the consequences, both positive and negative.
Are we looking at our belief, saying, “Hey, what’s it for me to get up each week and go to church?…to be kind to others?  to take risks to be examples of our faith in the workplace?”  Something to think about!
(Well, this is my last editing before I send this back to the publishers, and I just had to share this with you.  I’ve been telling you throughout this book that I haven’t been taking the risks to share my love for Jesus with others.  I’ve always been afraid they would think that I’m a religious fanatic and back away.  Writing this book has been an extremely eye-opening experience for me, making me much more aware of my weaknesses as a “Self-absorbed Christian.”
Well, about five minutes ago, I was thumbing through the church newsletter while I was munching on something and saw a request.  It was asking for a volunteer to do a Bible Study at a local nursing home.  I surprised myself and decided to act on it right away before I got cold feet.  Unfortunately, the person wasn’t there but I left a message saying that I would be willing to lead the Bible Study and asked that they call me back.
The more I got to thinking about it, I thought this book would probably be ideal to use for the Bible Study.  Nope, I’m not trying to sell more books, although additional sales will help whichever charity I choose to donate the proceeds to.  What I was thinking is that I have this book on my computer.  I could copy several pages each week and enlarge the print to make it easier for the people in the nursing home to read.  We could talk about how they relate to the passages.  Although I haven’t listed every passage in the Bible that relates to a given topic, I occasionally have other passages that support a great many of them.  This may take us off into different directions.
You realize that I’m talking this all out with you, processing it as I write.  I think I like this idea, because I know that the passages I have listed in this book come from the King James Bible.  Then I don’t have to be concerned about which study guide to pick, worrying if another author’s point of view matches my belief in Jesus as my Savior.

I’m starting to get excited about this whole new adventure.  I almost feel a little teary eyed.  When I started this book, I said that I would see where God leads me and within minutes of being finished with the final editing, I read the request in the newsletter.  Not two weeks earlier where I would have thought that I still had too much to do or two months later, when I might have slipped away from my resolve to take more risks.  God had me read it minutes before finishing.  God works that way in my life and can work that way in your life too, if you let Him.  I know you’re a captive audience, but thanks for being here with me as I grow in my relationship with God.  He has positively influenced my life through reading the Bible on a daily basis and He can do this for you too.  Thanks again.  D.S.)

Since this is an example of the positive influence God has made on my walk with Christ, this may not reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verses.