Talking with the Lord yields the best fruit, because He is so much wiser; so much kinder; sees so much more; than we do. The conversations the Lord initiates brings forth insight and understanding as well as a greater depth than anything we could have ever thought of. This is why humility is a posture we must maintain, for we only see in part, think in part and process in part, but He, as God sees the whole picture, knows every moving part and is processing us into His image and likeness. He alone is God, we are not.

Today the walking the dog conversation was about selfishness and what the Lord showed me is profound. The Holy Spirit showed me two kinds of selfishness, one selfishness is rooted in evil. It is greedy, covetous, idolatrous, and God calls it evil. James 3:16 says, “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” I have always been taught selfishness is evil, self-absorbed, only about you, thinking of no one else. But God…

Then this morning the Lord revealed to me another aspect of selfishness I did not know. He showed me that some selfishness is not evil it is survival mode. He said some people have misplaced trust, so are living in fear of lack and therefore are selfish not because they are evil, but because they are in survival mode. Survival mode looks selfish, but it is not evil. I have a family member that lives in survival mode and I always viewed it as selfishness, but today the Lord said it is not evil it is survival mode.

Being able to discern what type of selfishness is manifesting will determine the response we are to have to what we see. If the selfishness is evil, then the Lord said it is to be starved. Don’t feed it. But if it is survival mode, then we are to have compassion, for they are barely making it emotionally, spiritually, financially, physically, or in some other way. They don’t need our pity, they need our compassion, our prayers, our support. This is a new way of thinking of selfishness for me, but it sure was liberating and gave me a way to pray for those I love but only saw as selfish.