LIPSTICK ON THE MIRROR
The custodian was at his wit's end. No matter what he did, the girls wouldn't stop. At a small private school in Washington, a group of twelve-year-old girls were beginning to wear lipstick. After applying it in the restroom, they would press their mouths to the mirror, leaving dozens of little lip prints. Each night the maintenance man removed them and the next day, the girls put them back. Appeals to "cease and desist" from the principal were to no avail; so finally she summoned the young ladies into the restroom, with the maintenance man present. Once again explaining how much trouble their cosmetology exercise was causing, she asked the custodian to show the girls the effort that was required to clean the mirror. Taking out a long-handled squeegee, he dipped it in the toilet, and cleaned the mirror with it. Want to guess the result? No more lip prints!
Just imagine the utter selfishness of those twelve-year-old girls! They demonstrated so little concern for the trouble they caused the janitor, until they realized how it affected them. But before we chalk this up to adolescent immaturity, let's ask ourselves, "How many situations do I encounter during my day, where I think only of myself?" Whether it's on the highway or in the home, selfishness often dominates our thinking. It's part of our fallen human nature and we battle it constantly.
Catch these words from Paul in Philippians 2:20, "I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus." Earlier in the chapter he wrote, "Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too" (verse 4). What's the solution? The same as every other struggle we face. Focus on Jesus (verses 5-11). Selfishness is subtle; it's insidious; and it runs deep in our nature...and that's true whether you're twelve or 112!
In which areas of life am I most prone to selfishness: family, work, church, community, etc.?
How does the example of Jesus help me to shift my attitudes and behavior?
"Lord Jesus, reveal to me my selfish heart, and empower me to change through your Holy Spirit."