“The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.” Galatians 6:7-8 (MSG)

Selfishness destroys relationships. It is the number one cause of conflict, arguments, divorce, and even war.

James 4:1 says, “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” (NIV). Every trouble starts because of self-centeredness.

It’s very easy for selfishness to enter relationships. When you first start a relationship, you work hard at being unselfish. But as time goes on, selfishness begins to creep in. People often put more energy into starting and building relationships than they do in maintaining them.

If selfishness destroys relationships, then selflessness is what makes them grow. What does selflessness mean? It means less of “me” and more of “you.” It means thinking of others more than you think of yourself and putting other people’s needs before your own. As Philippians 2:4 says, “Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others” (CSB).

Selflessness brings out the best in people. It builds trust in relationships. In fact, if you start acting selflessly in a relationship, the other person changes too; when you’re selfless, you’re not the same person anymore, so they have to relate to you in a different way.

I’ve seen it many times. Some of the most unlovable people, those who no one wants to be around, are often transformed when someone is kind and selfless toward them. When someone is given what they need—not what they deserve—they change in beautiful ways.

The Bible says in the Message paraphrase, “The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life” (Galatians 6:7-8).

This is the biblical principle of sowing and reaping. What you sow, you’re going to reap. When you sow selflessness, you reap God’s blessing. This is how he’s wired the universe: The more unselfish you are, the more he blesses you. He wants you to become like him, and he is unselfish. Everything you have is a gift from God, a result of his unselfishness toward you. 

So while you’re here on this earth, you’ll be most fulfilled when you give yourself away. Jesus said, “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it” (Mark 8:35 NLT).