"What's in it for Me?"

Life in general is always in survival mode for most folks and rightly so. This is the reason we will hear the question so often asked, “What's in it for me?” when approached to do something for or with someone. People want to know what they are getting into and how it is going to benefit them. To a certain extent there is nothing wrong with wanting to know the blessings or consequences of your decision making. After all, what we are today is due to what we did yesterday and what we are tomorrow is due to what we do today. Makes sense, right?

Here is a prime example of self preservation. A devout believer in astrology, French king Louis XI was deeply impressed when an astrologer correctly foretold that a lady of the court would die in eight days' time. Deciding, however, that the too-accurate prophet should be disposed of, Louis summoned the man to his apartments, having first told his servants to throw the visitor out of the window when he gave the signal. "You claim to understand astrology and to know the fate of others," the king said to the man, "so tell me at once what your fate will be and how long you have to live." "I shall die just three days before Your Majesty," answered the astrologer. The shaken king canceled his plans! [Today in the Word, July 16, 1993.] 

 

It wouldn't hurt for us to remember the words of Warren Wiersbe dealing with preserving oneself. “Self-preservation is the first law of physical life, but self-sacrifice is the first law of spiritual life.” So are we thinking with the spiritual or the carnal mind when it comes to self-preservation? Good question to ask ourselves on a regular basis. The apostle Paul struggled with the flesh/carnal mind and this is what he had to say about it. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Rom. 8:5-8) Surely all of us want to be pleasing to God and it is required of us to do so if we love Him and want to keep His commandments.

Paul further tells us in 1 Cor. 3:3, for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? So, do you have any of these problems? Remember, to be pleasing to God we cannot have a carnal mind. We must never forget that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. (2 Cor. 10:4) We all have those nagging strongholds in our life that need to be destroyed, mainly because they are carnal, not spiritual. With God's help these strongholds will be destroyed once and for all. The question is, “Are you willing to let Him do it?”