Proverbs 18:2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. ESV

Proverbs 13:16 Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly. ESV

Yesterday I spoke about selfishness and more examples to find wisdom associated with the word. As I ended yesterday’s devotional a thought came to mind about associated with our behavior in communication.

Do you value your opinion over your relationships? An opinion is personal. In a way it is selfish because it is yours. It doesn’t really matter if others agree with you so much as it does in your ability to express it. I don’t know how many times I’ve looked into the eyes of another, knowing in my heart that all they are waiting for is a lull in the silence to voice their opinion on the matter. I can recognize it because I have done that very thing myself.

It is one thing to be knowledgeable of the Lord and help where needed and another to flaunt your opinion. True enough these verses in Proverbs speak to a fool in his folly but does it say with any certainty that the fool’s opinion is wrong? By implication we would like to think that the fool is wrong, but what if his only motivation is selfish desire and takes no care or concern for others, timing, and the leaning of the Lord?

Proverbs 15:23 A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!

Just because you want to say it and it is true, does not mean it is a word in due season. It is important to know if the moment is of the Lord or in self-interest. Wisdom is knowing the difference.

(blank results) KJV

Selfish does not appear in the King James Version of the bible. I find that curious, so I examined other translations.

(ESV) Selfish Ambition.

(NASB) adds Selfish Appetite and Conceit.

(RSV) adds Ungrateful and Surly (Apocrypha).

(NIV) adds nothing new but expresses ambition as gain and end results.

I have to tell you I am surprised and perhaps a little disappointed that this is all I could find relating directly to selfishness. I expected more expressions or examples to learn from. If I am going to be honest with myself, it must be attached to a personal expression of my own conscience.

I am selfish with my time. Where does that fit in context with the scriptures? I suppose it depends on how I am using my time. I am zealous of my quiet time. I do not like to be disturbed when I am with my Lord. Is that a bad thing? Not in and of itself, but how does my expression of that zeal affect the person that wants my attention? My Lord has asked me to be kindly affectionate to others. At what point does my selfish zeal in a good thing become tainted?

Perhaps this is the real lesson of selfishness, not that we are selfish, because we are, but in how we allow those moments to affect relationships with others. Not just those we are know, but to anyone who might need the Lord at any particular moment.

“Not now” is a very off-putting term to hear. If you are hurting at the moment it will just intensify the moment and cast a bad light of the author of “not now”.

How about those times when I didn’t even hear the interruption? I get so engrossed in the moment at times that I don’t even hear my wife. I love her dearly and the last thing I want is to make her feel ignored or diminished. I do it, I am sad to say. I’d hate to think it is because I am selfish. Yet I am.