The Body of Christ is to visibly love God and love others. The natural thing to do is to function in such a way as to assure that our own needs are first met and we receive what we deserve.
Ephesians 4:7,11–13 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift… And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
Romans 15:2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
God has placed each one of us within a local body of believers for a reason. We are empowered with spiritual gifts. We have natural abilities. We are given these gifts and abilities to build up those people God has placed around us. Rather than focusing on how to leverage those same abilities for our own benefit, God calls us to a life of sacrifice and self-denial… He calls us to give first to others for their benefit. When everyone does this, everyone receives far more than if they reserved it for themselves, and, as a result everyone receives an exponentially greater blessing!
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