Based on Joshua 21:43 – 22:9 (New King James Version)
“So the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it. The Lord gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass. Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, and said to them: ‘You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. You have not left your brethren these many days, up to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God. And now the Lord your God has given rest to your brethren, as He promised them; now therefore, return and go to your tents and to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.’ So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents. Now to half the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but to the other half of it Joshua gave a possession among their brethren on this side of the Jordan, westward. And indeed, when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them, and spoke to them, saying, ‘Return with much riches to your tents, with very much livestock, with silver, with gold, with bronze, with iron, and with very much clothing. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.’ So the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they had obtained according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.”
In the Christian, there must never be any form of selfishness. Moreover, if a person truly desires to attain eternal life—entry into the Kingdom of God—they cannot be a selfish person. To start, the only way we attain eternal life or gain entry into the Kingdom of God is solely by doing the will of God and not our will. There is no other way. This is what the Lord said: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21. This is a fundamental biblical principle, and indeed, it should be the all of man. If a person loses sight of this, they will gain absolutely nothing, no matter what faith they profess to have. This, too, is written: “For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.” Romans 14:8-9. So, if a person does not seek to live for Christ and do the will of God, they are miserably wasting their time. They will achieve absolutely nothing. And quite frankly, they ought to seek to do something else—even though the only path to God, to eternal life, is found solely through the Lord Jesus Christ. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:6. This may sound harsh, but it is the truth: If a person does not want to do God's will—let alone live for Him—what, then, will they do in heaven? What purpose would God have in allowing such a person into His kingdom—where they would have to do His will for all eternity—if they are not even interested in doing it here, which is such a short time by comparison?
Having said that, what, then, is God's will? This is what His Word says: “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40. When our love is focused on the Lord, He will always lead us to love our neighbor; and love is demonstrated only through deeds—not merely through words or good intentions. God Himself set the example for us by not simply saying that He loved us, but by demonstrating it through all His works: creation, and the entire universe—which He sustains in its place and causes to function through His very Being—things we do not even understand, and, worse yet, take for granted. He provides the rain and the light; He enables our hearts to beat and allows all our involuntary bodily functions—as science calls them—to operate, just as He provides the very air we breathe. God gives us all of this daily. And as if this were not enough, He demonstrated His love sacrificially by giving His Only Begotten Son—the Lord Jesus Christ—to die for our sins, so that, through faith in Him and obedience to Him, we might have eternal life. God did all of this, and continues to do so, solely by grace, for He is under no obligation whatsoever to us. This is what His Word says: In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:10-11. So, if we love God as He deserves, that would lead us to obey Him—which entails loving our neighbor.
We also see this principle in the following: “…Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Feed My lambs.’ He said to him again a second time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Tend My sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed My sheep.’” John 21:15b-17. Note that every time the Lord asked him if he loved Him—and Peter replied—He commanded him to do good to His sheep or lambs; and the sheep and lambs represent the people who follow the Lord. But the Lord also commands this: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:43-45.
The sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh did not remain in their place to enjoy their possession; instead, they obeyed God and went with their brothers so that they, too, could obtain theirs. My advice would be this: Set aside all selfishness, for it will lead you only to ruin; instead, seek the Lord with sincerity, so that He may guide you toward that which is truly most worthwhile—eternal life with eternal reward. So, will you continue to live selfishly to satisfy your own desires, thereby condemning yourself eternally? Or will you seek to love the Lord and live for Him, allowing Him to be the one who rewards you eternally? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!