Self or selfless - 2 Cor 5:15

From 2 Cor 5:15 during self-study in the Life Application Bible Studies series:

He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live to please themselves. (NLT)

Questions to ponder:

• Is it to please ourselves to spend much time talking about God and telling others?
• If we are caring for others, are we doing so with the idea of a reward? Does the idea of "reward" negate the good of caring?
• Is it best to focus more on telling, or best to spend more time on showing? Are these two ideas incompatible? Or are they companions?
• Is the message complete if we tell and don't do?
• Is the message complete if we do and don't tell?
• How do we find the right balance? Is it up to us to find that balance?
• No matter our motivation and our failings, does God work his wonder in others through our lives?

Possibly related verses:

• Matthew 10:39 - Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (NIV)
• Matthew 16:25 - For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. (NIV)

More thoughts to ponder:

• Let go and let God has new meaning. We can't really manage our eternity. Once our lives belong to Christ, he manages our eternity.
• If we stop too long to examine, we may be focusing too much on ourselves and miss an opportunity that God has placed before us.
• A fine balance. We can never "nail it"! All the nails belong to Christ.