WHEN Jesus was on earth, he set a perfect example of self-sacrifice. He put aside his own desires and comforts in order to do God’s will. (John 5:30) By remaining faithful to death on the torture stake, he proved that his spirit of self-sacrifice had no limit.—Phil. 2:8.
As followers of Jesus, we too need to display the spirit of self-sacrifice. What does it mean to have a self-sacrificing spirit? Simply put, it means that a person is willing to give up his own interests in order to help others. In a sense, it is the opposite of selfishness. ( Matthew 16:24.)
An unselfish spirit can help us to place our feelings and personal preferences after those of others. (Phil. 2:3, 4) In fact, Jesus taught that an unselfish spirit is at the heart of our worship. How so? Christian love, which is part of the motivation behind self-sacrifice, is the hallmark of true disciples of Jesus. (John 13:34, 35) And think of the blessings we enjoy because we are part of a worldwide brotherhood that displays the spirit of self-sacrifice!