"Takers!"

People are selfish! That's just a fact. I am selfish! I don't want to be and I try to move away from that but I still find myself being selfish and it bothers me. Jesus wasn't selfish. He was 'self-less'.

A while back Resa and I were watching the movie, "What About Bob?" It is a funny look at how a self-consumed person makes a complete nervous wreck out of another who is also self-consumed. It just becomes magnified when the two get together. There is one scene when Bob stands outside his psychiatrists house and calls out, "I need, I need, I need!" That's what self-centered people are about.

Jesus was walking through a multitude and felt power leave His body when someone touched Him. It wasn't the ordinary that touched Him (Luke 8). People surrounded Him, pushing on Him and wanting to be close yet one instance power was pulled from Him and He knew it. It makes you wonder if this power drained Jesus? When He healed or helped with His miraculous touches did it drain Him at the end of the day? I must admit that when you are around people that are burdened, struggling and dealing with major issues in their lives, it drains one at the end of the day. I feel it. It is always good to be able to help others and you want to help but working with people daily can drain you!

There seems to be those that are constantly taking! They always speak of "me" and "I want" or "I need, I need, I need!" Rarely do those who take show any response to help others. Others are called to their attention and side. When things go bad, they become so self-consumed they want to take from another. When things start smoothing out, they give no thought as to what can I do to help or encourage those they constantly take from. Sometimes in the church there are those who are desperate for friendship, not a spiritual relationship. They want to be friends and will push themselves on others until they accomplish their selfish goal. They take! They speak of themselves, their lives, their thinking, their work, their family, their troubles, their weaknesses, their daily activities and it never seems to let up. You feel the "power", not in the same way as Jesus, but the "power" is taken from you and you find yourself wearied, worn and wanting to just get away. You can't do so to the hurt of the taker as that would create bigger problems but at the end of the day, you want to escape and refuel because tomorrow, there will be takers to deal with again. And you sit and find yourself wondering if you too are a taker! Then you realize how takers offer little of themselves.