How do you meet in the middle when it come to selflessness. I feel like people will drain me dry to the point of depression, and take advantage of my kindness. I will then try to avoid doing anything to help anyone at that point because I feel I’ve been took advantage of. Which leaves me feeling like I’m only trying to help myself. Now depression has really gotten the best of me lately and has really left me feeling more selfish. I don’t want to be this way. How do you do this without draining yourself.
Every Christians struggles with this. Perhaps calling to mind scripture and words of wisdom will encourage you to do focus on Christ and the work of the church.
"Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes" Ezekiel 36
"Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things." Romans 1
"God is called jealous, because he permits no rivalry which may detract from his glory." John Calvin
God can rest in nothing other than himself and cannot be satisfied with anything less than himself. He has no alternative but to seek his own honor." Herman Bavinck
Yours in the Lord,
jm