“This is the secret of life: the self lives only by dying, finds its identity (and its happiness) only by self-forgetfulness, self-giving, self-sacrifice, and agape love.”
This quote is by Peter Kreeft who is a professor of philosophy and who has written many books about Christian theology, philosophy, and apologetics.
Kreeft referring to the self dying reminds me of the importance of us decreasing our focus on our ego-based desires and choices. By doing that, selfishness dies, opening the pathway to giving of ourselves.
We give of ourselves by being generous with our time and our abilities, both of which are gifts from our Creator. We do this by helping others, volunteering for causes we believe to have value, spending quality time with our children, grandchildren, and others, and in many other ways. These are forms of self-sacrifice and agape love, a love that is unconditional, has no expectation of return, and desires the welfare of others.
I have a friend who had a neighbor who she would visit with from time to time. The neighbor was about 20 years older than my friend and lived alone for several years after her husband passed away. When the neighbor needed to move to an assisted living residence because of health issues, my friend started visiting her at least once a week and has continued to do that, even though she works full-time and has other obligations. They talk about various things and sometimes my friend reads to her. This is an example of self-giving, not expecting anything in return, and choosing to share one’s free time.
I have a coworker who volunteers at a food shelf regularly. He helps people he doesn’t know to have sufficient food for themselves and their families. In this way, he too gives of his abilities and time, not thinking of his needs but instead choosing to make the needs of others a priority.
There are many examples of people giving of themselves, sharing the gifts given to them by our Creator. By trying to discern how our Creator wants us to use those gifts and then by doing our best to act on what we have discerned, we not only help others and make our world a better place, we also live more purposeful and meaningful lives.