The Power of Selfless Love

This is Joseph talking to his brothers during the famine, after they were rotten to him, “dissed” him, tried to kill him, and sold him into slavery. He returned their wickedness with goodness. He did this through the power of self-less love, because his objective was to love his brothers. This was more powerful than their wickedness. Self-less love is always more powerful than wickedness. Self-less love always wins. But few people ever experience it, because they don’t persist in it long enough. 

Moses said in Numbers 11:29: “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all of the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord’s power was on all of them.” He said this after coming down from the mountain and was asked, “Why can’t we all have it? ” He answered he wished they all could have the power of the Holy Spirit, too. Self-less love is a giving love. It is a love that you wish everyone could have, when you have love and don’t keep anything back. 

Jonathan was a wonderful example of selfless love. In I Kings 18:4, it says, “Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.” Talk about giving! I’m sure he would have given more and even more, to David, too, if he had had it to give. But that is a selflessness, a selflessness that releases the power of God. It is only selflessness that really releases the power of God. Jesus Christ, Himself, was the perfect example of selflessness, when He died on the cross for our sins. He became selfless, Himself, and the lover of all of us. When Jesus died for us on the cross, He gave up Himself, so that we could have life. God, then, asks us to be selfless, so that others can have life. The primary way for us to give more life away is to be more selfless, rather than selfish, which is the opposite. 

Now Paul said in I Corinthians 10:33, “Even as I try to please everybody in every way, I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many, so that many can be saved.” That’s another sign of selflessness: what good are we seeking? Are we seeking the good of the person we’re talking to or are we seeking our own good? What are we seeking? Something good that we can put to our own advantage, or so something good can happen to us, or seeking to help other people know Jesus? In Il Corinthians 8:9, it says that, ” For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” The Lord is asking us: “Are you willing to become poor, so that others can become rich.” And that’s not just our pocketbooks. 

The Search For Selfless Love 
So, when I talk about selfless love, what do I mean? It is the kind of love that gives ourselves away, so we can become selfless. Now, for selfless love to be successful, it requires certain conditions, one of them being that it has to have an objective. The greatest objective of a selfless love is to help someone be more like Jesus. When our objective is to help others, this also can really benefit us. 

However, in the process of giving what we are asking for, God wants us to be selfless, so He can help move us toward our goal. All of us have a difficult person in our lives, so we go to God and ask Him to change this person. But the Lord asks us: “Will you become selfless? I can change that person if you are selfless.” In selfless love, the objective is we want to show people Jesus, to be more like Jesus; but it also means that we are working toward a goal, whether a better relationship with a person, or whether we want to become more open to the Lord. So, a selfless love is also a very practical love, that does selfless things for others. 

Selfless Love Defined 
Selfless love is the kind of love we have when we put ourselves on the “back burner,” and we say that I’m going to do this for this person, even if they don’t love me, or I’m going to do this, just because God wants me to do it . A selfless love is the kind of love we have when we do things for the Lord’s sake. Selfless love is the kind we are going to do because it moves us closer to the Lord, and moves the other person closer to the Lord. 

What are some conditions of a selfless love? One is that we are able to recognize what we want, and are willing to lay it down. A lot of people don’t know how to love selflessly, because they are too busy wanting things for themselves. First of all, we need the Holy Spirit to come and show us what we want, so we can offer it to the Lord. 

A second condition is that we are willing to let the Lord perform this the way He wants to do it. If I say, “Lord, I want you to change this person,” then we need to let go of our agendas. If we tell the Lord to do things a certain way, we are asking Him, t’Didn’t I do a good job, thinking of this? Don’t I have a wonderful selfless love?” No, selfless love lets God call the shots. 

Another condition for a selfless love is that it is persistent, and is generated by the power of the Holy Spirit. For example, there was a man named St. Augustine, who was a real rabble rouser, and one of the worst sinners that ever lived! He was totally into paganism and self-centeredness. However, God told St. Augustine’s mother to keep praying for him, so she prayed for seven years, every day: “Please change my son, Lord. Please change my son.” 

Finally, in the midst of this, God came to her and said, “No, you’re not doing something wrong, you just have to keep on doing it.” Then, God asked her: “Are you willing to change yourself? Are you willing to give up your plans and dreams?” 

The Nature of Selfless Love 
Selfless love doesn’t have an agenda. Selfless love opens the gate for God’s selfless love to pour out of us and affect another person. Selfless love doesn’t manipulate, try to control the other person, and doesn’t demand what needs to be done; it just loves. Selfless love accepts the person where he is, or the situation the way it is, and we say, “Well, Lord, this is a bad situation that I’m in and even though it stinks, let’s make some good come out of it.” Amazingly, the Lord moves us to a place of perseverance in selfless love. The greatest way to release God’s power, is to pray for a selfless love for people.

Selfless Love Defined 
Now, selfless love is just the opposite of selfish love. Selfish love tries to control. Selfish love demands and manipulates, and says, “Well, Dave, if I do this for you, you’ll do this for me; won’t you, Dave?” That’s selfish love. Selfish love isn’t powerful; selfish love is weak. However, selfless love is strong, because it keeps you going. Because you’re loving, you begin to love more and more, for Jesus’ sake, for people to be like Jesus. Selfless love enables the Lord to do whatever He wants to do, in whatever time frame He wants to do it. 

Selfless love brings joy to the Holy Spirit and releases the power of the Holy Spirit, but selfish love limits the Holy Spirit and strangles the Holy Spirit. “I can’t live with my husband any more this way, Lord. He’s so hard-headed, he won’t change.” “Why didn’t you give me a better wife or a husband, Lord?” I prayed and prayed, for years and years, and you still didn’t get me one!” But that’s an agenda item because we hold this against God and it hinders our relationship with Him. 

Selfish love puts us first. If you want to be miserable, be selfish. That’s a promise; that’s a promise. Then, God is not going to move, because we are holding His hands by our own selfishness. Selfish love dries up the water of the Holy Spirit: People say, “It has to be this way or I want this kind of water, Lord.” However, selfless love says God can make it any way He wants, and releases the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Benefits of Selfless Love 
Now, selfless love releases the presence of God. People don’t know what to do with selfless love, at first. The enemy doesn’t know what to do with selfless love! That’s why it defeats him; the enemy couldn’t understand why Jesus died on the cross. But selfless love confounds the ways of the enemy; because he can’t figure it out, or knows what to do about it. 

It was selfless love when Mother Theresa went out in Bombay on the streets of Calcutta and picked up people who were just about dead in the ditches, who had been living in the ditches all of their lives. She brought meaning when she washed them and loved them, and held them and took care of them for Jesus. I’m sure they were thinking, “Why are you doing this to me?” She knew the power of selfless love. Selfless love increases God’s presence in your life; be selfless and God will be with you in a powerful way. 

Choose to Be Selfless 
Selflessness opens the door to every blessing in Christ Jesus. There is nothing that God will withhold from you: in wisdom, in virtue, in power, in grace. All of these will be yours, as you pray for a selfless love. But you say to yourself, “What will happen to me if I become selfless; will I still be myself?” Yes, you’ll be more of yourself than you were before; you’ll be the best that you could ever be, because Christ Jesus rises up in selflessness and melts selfishness away. A selfless love, or a selfish love? That’s the thing we need to choose. And what do you say about having a selfish love? “I’m entitled to this.” “After all, my husband should treat me this way. Aren’t I a good wife? And haven’t I kept my vows? Selfless love doesn’t keep score, but keeps on giving. Like the Energizer Bunny, it keeps on going. Will you love me, even if I hurt you again and again? Will you love me, even if I never promise to change? Why have a selfless love if the person never changes? 

God made a promise, that whenever you love selflessly, it will have its effect and people will change. Selfless love plants seeds of growth, victory and greatness in our lives. Selfish love destroys the seed of God and crushes it, making it die. A selfless love is a love that releases what we want most in life, but we’re not willing to pay the price. A selfless love is the kind of love that we ask for, but we’re not willing to walk through the pain to get it. Matthew 16:25: “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me, will find it.” The whole world is looking for selfless love, that has not conditions or expectations except to be like Jesus. The whole world is looking for love without a motive. 

For a long time, I’ve been teaching everyone about being like Jesus. In a boxing ring, it’s not the person who throws the first punch, it is the person who throws the last punch, that counts. With selfless love, God will give us the knockout punch. But with a selfish love, we’ll wear ourselves out. Selfless love gives us strength and energy, because we have an objective. That objective is whatever God shows us for that particular individual or situation. Why aren’t they changing, Lord? I’m doing this and this, but nothing’s happening! I’m going to give up!” Selfishness leads to defeat, but selflessness leads to victory. I’d gladly do it again and again, because God is going to give me the last punch, because He has the knock-out punch. That is what comes with the power of selflessness. 

Take Up Your Cross Daily 
If you are going to be selfless, it means that you are going to die daily to your agenda, not just once a week. It’s not the wisdom of the strong that’s going to change the world, but the selflessness of Christ Jesus. 

Do you want to spread the Gospel? Because, when we’re selfless, God can pour through us like an empty pipe. “Whatever you want, Lord, however You want it. Have it your way.” That is the selflessness that God is looking for. But do we have the courage to be selfless? Do we have the courage to live for Jesus? Do you have the courage to share the gospel of the Kingdom? 

Acting Selflessly 
What do people with selfless love do? They think of other people before themselves. When we think of ourselves first, we become miserable and dry up inside. But, if we think of others first, we get more and more life. When you see two people who love each other, what do they do? They give themselves up for each other and love each other selflessly by thinking of each other before themselves. Then, the power of God’s love is released. Do you know what the Lord wants you to be? Selfless. 

Philippians 2:1-4: “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ and any comfort from His love, any fellowship with the Spirit, and any tenderness and compassion, then make My joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love. Being one in spirit and in purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Each of you should not look to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:5: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus, who being the very nature of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped. But He made Himself nothing.” We need to be ready to give up our whole selves, as Jesus did. Then, we’ll release the power of Jesus into our lives. “But He made Himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant.” A selfless servant. “But Lord, what about my career, my house, my new car? Aren’t those important?” If they help you to be more selfless, yes. Verse 8: “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross!” 

When you humble yourself and let yourself die and feel the pain of what feels like a cross, God comes to you even more. Verse 9: “Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” 

A Path of Humility 
Why did God exalt Jesus? Because Jesus humbled Himself. I want God to exalt you, brag and boast of you from now until the end of the world and throughout eternity. That’s my objective. God can do this when selfless love permeates our hearts and we humble ourselves to our desires, needs and thoughts. Tell the Lord, ” I’m laying down my plans. What is Your plan, Lord? What is your plan, Holy Spirit?” Then, you begin to live. And then God releases His power to serve Him. People will lie about and hate you, calling you all sorts of names. Don’t think this is going to be easy, because satan hates this! He hates it when a Christian becomes selfless; then, he knows he can be defeated, and he can’t do a single thing about it. We’re putting a crippling sword through the heart of the devil. 

To be more Christ-like, be selfless and humble yourselves to God’s leadership. We can do it, if we become more selfless. When we become more selfless, God is going to send us many blessings for obedience. The whole world is looking for a selfless person, without any motives or agenda items. Your wives, husbands, children and friends are looking for it. God is saying, “Will you do it for me?” Then God will have a place to rest, as this selfless person has the similar spirit as that of Christ Jesus. We can do this with the power of the Holy Spirit by asking God and yielding a little bit at a time. 

A Way of Life 
Again, this is a process and a call from the Lord: to be more selfless. It is not something that we can do tomorrow, but what we can do a little bit more every day. I’m asking you to try to make selflessness a way of life for you, and not selfishness. The whole world is consumed with selfishness. Selfishness brings defeat. Look around you, and you’ll see all kinds of selfishness. The light shines in the darkness when we see a selfless person. 

Light and Life 
When someone is selfish, it makes the world a little darker; but when a person is selfless, there is more of the Lord’s life. Jesus, shines because of selflessness. Do you want to have success in leading people to Christ? Do you want to have success in your marriages and friendships? Well, the way to have success is to be selfless; the way to be defeated is to be selfish. So, why not go for the big one? I’m giving you a challenge today to rise above ourselves and not just think about our own lives. The way to freedom is to be selfless. I want you to be free. Jesus wants you to break free, but it is not the way sometimes that we expect. Let’s take it to the Lord and ask Him. 

The Power To Win 
Are you ready to be selfless and not worry about what other people think of you? When we release the power of selflessness, we release the power of God’s blessing in other people’s lives. Even if people decide to be evil and turn away from God, we still bring blessing to them if we are selfless to them. We still shine the light of Jesus in our selflessness. Shine your light, Jesus, through me to your people. Then, God will bring us the blessing that we have been asking for. 

Go to the Lord and ask Him for the power to do this, and the way to do it a little bit at a time and not be discouraged. We can work toward this and encourage each other in it. Yes, you may be called a coward, but what will God call you on the Last Day? We want to take on the attitude of selflessness on our journey to know God’s heart. I want you to celebrate with me, because we’re going to have quite a heavenly party when we get there. Jesus gives us the power to be selfless and the ability to die to ourselves, so that Christ Jesus can live in us. 

The more we choose selflessness, the more Jesus becomes evident in our lives and the more His light shines. And the more the darkness goes away and the power of God comes. I want you to have power, authority and wisdom. Being selfless brings us great authority. Mother Theresa had authority, which came from her selflessness. I want you to have the best. Selflessness is the best and the greatest when you give it away to each other and to a hungry and starving world.