What's In It For Me? (Friday Devotional)

“For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

- Philippians 3:18-20

“What’s in it for me?”

That question, whether asked bluntly or with a more courteous approach, is something you probably at least wonder about before extending a helping hand. It’s why fundraisers award benefits to top donors, why politicians campaign in the language of pandering instead of principle—as appealing as altruism sounds in theory, in practice we like knowing we’ll get a little something for our trouble.

But the difference between self-interest and selfishness is subtle, and the follower of Christ should be wary of it. It takes no time at all for curiosity about what you might gain to turn into a demand for gain. And when your willingness to serve is contingent on what you’ll get out of the experience, you are on a dangerous path.

Scripture warns against those who put their own interests above all else: “their end is destruction, their god is their belly.” In other words, they have placed their own desires above anything else, with disastrous consequences for themselves and those around them. To do this is to be an “enemy of the cross”, because the cross is the ultimate representation of self-sacrifice, of love without regard for self-interest.

In this Lenten season, you have the opportunity to reexamine your priorities and ask yourself what and who is most important. So be mindful of where your true loyalty lies—in yourself, or in the Savior who calls you to deny yourself and take up your cross. Instead of asking what’s in for you, may your concern be what’s in it for Him.