Each month at Baymonte Christian School we highlight a positive character trait with a corresponding Bible verse. September’s character trait is Selflessness.
“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4
5 Ways to be Selfless
It’s easy to get so absorbed in your own life that you lose track of what’s important. Becoming more selfless could change the way you see yourself and the world. Jesus said it is the second most important of all God’s commandments: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”. Mark 12:31. If you’re interested in doing more for others, try these 5 ways of being selfless.
- Volunteer Your Time and Talents
Find volunteer opportunities in your community that match your talents. At BCS we have many volunteer opportunities. Our upcoming Tech Trek event takes many volunteers to be a successful event. If you’re available to give an hour or more of your time the week before or day of the event, please let us know! A list of needs is coming in an email soon.
- Foster Empathy to Understand Others Better
Empathy is the ability for one person to understand how another person feels. You can increase your empathy by paying closer attention to the experiences of others. A way we foster empathy at BCS is by taking our seventh grade students on a mission’s trip to Rancho de Sus Ninos. Rancho is an orphanage in Tecate, Mexico. The children at the orphanage have been taken from unsafe homes and live at Rancho with loving house parents. We take our students into the community to see how others live in poorer parts of Mexico. By bringing our students into these areas, where kids are without loving biological parents and/or living in poverty, we hope to instill a sense of empathy for others. Last year our eighth graders went to Houston to help with the hurricane relief efforts as well.
- Make Giving a Daily Act
To become truly selfless, you can integrate giving into your daily life. Big gestures that you only do once or twice a year are great. Everyone appreciates those acts. But, daily giving takes you to a higher level of selflessness. Daily acts of giving could include helping a lost person find directions, giving someone a cold bottle of water on a hot day, or offering smiles to random people on the street. Another way to give is to make a meal for a family who may be going through a transitional time (welcoming home a new baby, healing from a surgery, grieving a death, etc.). At BCS our Family Cares Committee makes meals for families. If you need a meal or would like to be part of the committee to provide a meal you may sign up here.
- Know How to Receive as Well as Give
Learning how to accept help when someone offers it is a form of selflessness. Give other people opportunities to develop selflessness by accepting gifts graciously.
- Donate
Choosing to give is an act of selflessness that benefits the entire community. Look for charities that you have an interest in. It’s the sacrifice that makes your giving selfless, not the size of your contribution.