This Devotional Is Part Of A Special Continuing Series Related To Dependency And Co-dependency Issues. Rules Of Godly Common Sense Apply.

About getting false feelings of self-worth from helping others…

1 Corinthians 12:28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. (NIV)

To help others in the sight of God is godly if we help others only for godly reasons. If we help others to make ourselves feel better or if we help others to give ourselves a false feeling of self-worth, then we are not being godly. If we help others for a selfish reason, like making ourselves feel better, we are still being selfish. It sounds utterly selfish to say we must learn to help ourselves to help others. However, we must indeed learn to help ourselves. Only after we are stronger and emotionally healthy will we be able to fully and honestly help others without trying to make ourselves feel better for selfish reasons. Using our helpfulness to help others in order to get something for ourselves diminishes the presence of God in us, in others, and in our relationships. If we are to fully help others, we must first help ourselves, then others, in totally unselfish ways.