I think that we as Christians believe we are being selfless but most of us are far from it. Think about it this way... When something bad happens what is your first thought?
For me it is usually something along the lines of why me, or what am I supposed to learn from this. Now these questions in and of themselves are not bad questions, but look at what the subject is. ME. Cause life is about me right?
It's about what makes me look good, how I am better than others, or even why in the world I would have something bad happen to me and not them
let's clear up something up first. Why me? Why you? The real question is if God let Jesus suffer why would we expect to not have struggles? But we don't think that way for the most part, we think we don't deserve these trials we face. You know, "why do bad things happen to good people?"
So if not why me, then we probably ask what am I supposed to learn from this? Well when we go through troubles we think God must need to teach us something, but the truth is the trial may have nothin for us. It took me a long time to realize this, it took me asking this over and over again to realize that truth. Our purpose on earth is bring God glory, don't think though that he needs us to receive glory, we just get to be a vessel for his use.
James 1:2 Consider it pure joy my brothers when you experience trials of various kinds." Two parts of this verse are very important in this, James says when, not if, but when you experience trials. Second we focus on the word joy, and if we realize that joy is based in Christ not in circumstances. This verse isn't saying we are to happy about trials but joyful. And we can be joyful because in trials we know God is receiving glory and is working.
If we shift the focus away from ourselves and on the the Lord then we can find this "joy" in the fact that a perfect selfless God loves us and lets us be a vessel to bring him glory. So basically if we can come to grips with the fact that our purpose is to bring glory to The Lord and can understand that whatever happens is not about us, but instead is what He will receive the most glory from we can find the truest joy!
