Matthew 16.23 laments you are a stumbling block to Me, because you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.

An employee who shows up to work to do his own thing is usually short lived. An employer pays people to carry-out the company objectives.

An athlete who doesn’t place team before self is traded for someone who will make everyone better not just seek his own glory.

Military boot camp has as its objective the breakdown of the self in order to build one cohesive unit.

While we understand all of this we tend to not apply it toward the work of the Church. God too has a mission, an objective, a will, which is the reconciliation of the world to Himself through Jesus Christ.

His means for accomplishing this purpose very much includes obedience from His people working together in unity for it to be successful.

Self-centered living is an anathema to God, a stumbling block to His plan because people spend their time, talent and treasure on the stuff of this world rather than making every effort to see God’s Kingdom come upon the earth as it is in heaven.

We can measure our focus on God’s purposes by measuring our results toward winning people to God’s point of view and helping God’s people become more like Jesus.

God is looking to build His Empire both in breadth through more people coming to Him as God and in depth through more people looking like Him in their attitudes and actions.

When God lived with us in Jesus He even then lamented that the work was plentiful but the workers were few.

So whose interest are we giving our lives to, God’s or our own?