Suppose the principle of self-control is applied in a family environment? Consider a father adequately fulfilling his role of being a provider, a protector and a teacher to his family?  [See https://newcivilization.co.zw/attributes-man-masculinity/]. Imagine also, the wife, equally fulfilling her responsibilities; submitting and effectively supporting her husband, in nursing children?

Imagine, their offspring being adequately equipped with abilities to analyze and choose workable principles in life as they co-operate with their parents?  Under those circumstances, the children diligently learn from their parents, those principles of love, caring and protecting life in general.

On eventually choosing to get married, having lovingly been encouraged to pursue their divergent careers, those children assume Godly principles.  The next generation manifestly adopts the pattern of self-control, accordingly.  Such a pattern, naturally, promotes altruism.

Imagine also, even in the neighborhood, where the principle of self-control is adopted as a culture?  There would be no reason to suspect that anyone could do anything considered abnormal. When applying the principle of treating other fellow human beings as self, criminality would be unheard of.

With the principle of self-control, everyone takes the responsibility to ensure that nothing causes the environment to look awkward.  Where there would be cause for assisting; the self-control principle enables people to genuinely support other people, even without obligation.

Those with information that others lack, go out of their ways to ensure that those without desirable information get assisted, accordingly. Everyone gets guided by the principle of service, as driven by passion to serve fellow humanity.

As people are equipped with diverse talents and abilities, necessities get easily fulfilled, through networking. The common goal for everyone would be focusing on good living for everyone, in the environment.

While respective people desire to be served in special areas, they would also desire to serve in areas of their own respective specialties. That becomes the norm in any society, so that no-one feels more or less important than others.

Each person gets treated with the highest form of respect, regardless of his environmental background. Those with privilege of coming from better places, take it as their calling to help the less privileged, to also experience the comfort enjoyed by the privileged ones.

The call of self-control forces a person to have sleepless nights, as long as others, elsewhere, cannot access basic necessities, to reach their potentially productive abilities. Under those circumstances, no-one supervises another fellow human being, as everyone seeks to serve unconditionally.

God never created anyone, with intention for him/her to be governed by anyone else. If that were the case, then humanity would not have been created in God’s image. The term “self-control” is probably not fully understood by most people, as this may often be confused with self serving.

But if all human beings appreciated the principle of self-control, there would be no need for corporate governance. The reason why it is desirable to have a constitution, in any country, is because people are unable to control themselves.

Without self control, people need a manager above them, because they cannot manage themselves. This is primarily the state of humanity, as it prevails across the world.  The prisons, existing today, are due to a need to enforce order in an order-less environment.

Nevertheless, the starting point ought to be nurturing discipline on each individual, so that the principle of self-control is applied. Through the church, Jesus declared that He had instituted this philosophy among the few.

But, it appears as if His Church has since been hijacked by a system that identifies more with what prevails in this world. This website may represent a few, if not being a lone voice, in advocating this principle, enjoining altruism. The only solace is that God’s Church will always prevail, regardless of setbacks (Matthew 16:18).

What may be unbelievable to most people is that while the cause of prisons is ensconced in desire to enforce order, it exactly provides the opposite. A human being ought to have been an agent of order, instead, as created in God’s image. Like Jesus, who was an agent of order, human beings were supposed to be agents of order [See “Order is only characterized in Jesus”].

There are two interesting principles that are as different as night is different from day time. These are characterized in self-centredness and altruism. This world is stuck on self-centredness, assuming it to be what brings gain. Altruism is negatively viewed as foolishness that brings loss.

However, careful analysis reveals that altruism is what gives gain, as compared with self-centredness. The more self-centered a person becomes, the more impoverished he/she becomes. Zimbabwe can be used as case study, for the reality of what self-centredness produces. [See “The Zimbabwean Story”].

While there could be some truth in that foreigners took advantage of our confusion, thereby, unfairly benefitting— our current problems come from self-centredness.  There is no need to blame other people, when considering that, as human beings, we were bestowed with responsibility.

Self-centredness cannot be limited to the governing authorities. It cuts across the general populace, including those assuming that it is an advantage to be in the Diaspora. While the country languishes in poverty, a few individuals are hoarding most of the country’s resources, at the expense of the entire populace.

The hoarders suppose that keeping such resources to themselves, is portrayal of wisdom, on their part. But this is deep-seated foolishness.  Those people will die and leave their ill-gotten wealth unmanaged by anyone, as they also expose their offspring to the undesirable conditions.

Their children may be assumed as benefitting, yet material gains can be a snare, towards destruction: “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction” (1 Timothy 6:9) (ESV).

The philosophy of altruism was introduced by Jesus. It simply means selfless concern for the well-being of other fellow human beings. This happens to be the only key to addressing all problems of humanity. There is no need to aim for higher learning to acquire this knowledge.

Equipped with this principle, one cannot be in need of management, anymore.  In fact, being managed by someone else is foreign to such an individual.  While Jesus was assumed as carrying instructions from His Father in Heaven, He was actually, the reality of that which He lived to be.

Jesus didn’t need supervision to carry out His responsibilities, as they constituted who He was. Interestingly, Jesus, being God in physical nature, displayed what we, as people portraying God’s image, were created to be. Our character should reflect God’s character, because we were created in God’s image.

However, the principle of altruism is rarely found, even among Christians, assumed as being the custodians of altruism. Leadership structures are meant to facilitate Godliness among Christians; but, ironically, they facilitate Godlessness.

The leadership structures, as practiced in Churches, identify with the government structures of this world. These clearly contradict what Jesus taught, as shown in Matthew 23:8-12.  But, if asked, those leaders will give every reason to invalidate that which was put across by Jesus. [See “What’s in a title, if not to deceive”]

Altruism is foreign to the people of this world, as everyone is at home with the culture of self-centredness. Even the designation of city structures portrays the culture of self-centredness, including everything advocated by it.

Even with clearly documented failings in principle of self-centredness; ironically, altruism continues to be viewed as yet another unworkable principle. But nothing else can be as workable, in social structures of a completely defeated humanity.

As stated, what is advocated here may represent a lone voice in a sea of confused humanity; crying for better things to come.  But the same humanity is unable to perceive the workability of what works, as portrayed in the culture of altruism.  Nevertheless, there is no other information that can be regarded as more superior to the principle of altruism.

While currently, altruism is viciously resisted, it will eventually be adopted as the only workable solution to eradicate all troubles of this world. It was advocated by Jesus in the first century. It is still being advocated by His agents in our current century, though in seemingly subdued voices.

But it won’t be long before its undisputed champion, Jesus, comes to firmly establish it, whether people like it or not.  Blessed are those, taking the unpopular route, choosing to be identified with those advocating for it now. Such people will eventually receive the promised crowns. To those gifted with discovering this rare wisdom, nothing else can be more important in this life.

Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilization, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from current state of economic depression into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, bringing reliefs to those having witnessed strings of unworkable solutions––leading to the current economic and social decay. In a simple conversational tone, most Zimbabweans should find the book as a long awaited providential oasis of hope.

The Print copy is now available at Amazon.com for $13.99

Also available as an e-copy at Lulu.com  for $6.99