5 Ways to Ruin Your Life-Put Yourself First

5 Ways to Ruin Your Life

1. Put yourself first
2. Be a consumer, not a contributor
3. Never rest
4. Isolate yourself from others
5. Listen to the wrong voices

Gen 1:1

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 

Genesis 1:26a

^26a Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;

Genesis 1:26b

26b and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 

Genesis 1:27

²⁷ God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Genesis 3:1

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”

Genesis 3:2

 ² The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 

Genesis 3:3

³ but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” 

Genesis 3:4

⁴ The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 

Genesis 3:5

⁵ For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 

Genesis 3:6

⁶ When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. 

Genesis 3:7

⁷ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.

Genesis 3:8

⁸ They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 

Central Truth: A meaningful life begins by putting God at the center.

Application

1. Always be asking God for His will above your own.

2. Practice self-care, not self-worship.

3. Do things for others that make you uncomfortable or require you to sacrifice.

Mark 10:41

⁴¹ When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 

Mark 10:42

⁴² Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 

Mark 10:43

⁴³ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 

Mark 10:44

⁴⁴ and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 

Mark 10:45

⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Consider the contrasting images of Jesus: first seated on a throne at the right hand of His Father, then carrying a cross to Calvary, the hill where He would die. 

Ask Him to help you find ways to honor His sacrifice and put His interests above your own.