Serving Others By Knowing Yourself

During our Highlands Battery Assessment Retreat, Pastor Cameron Barham used the

phrase “good selfishness.” It was a new concept for me; I had never thought that

selfishness could be directed for good. Yet this idea has stuck with me ever since.

Humans are inherently selfish. We are wired with preferences, motivations, strengths,

and blind spots. It’s a reality we can’t ignore. Jesus calls us to be aware of this in

ourselves and to practice sacrificial love, to lay down our lives for others. But what if part

of loving others well actually requires a kind of selfishness? Not self-promotion, but self-

awareness.

At the retreat, Pastor Barham didn’t only emphasize our strengths. He also highlighted

our weaknesses and encouraged us to view them as gifts. They remind us of our

limitations and create opportunities to depend more fully on God and to interdepend

with one another.

Serving others doesn’t mean you have to do it all or have it all together. One of the most

powerful lessons I’ve learned during my Fellows year is that I am not meant to operate

alone. Relying on your network is not weakness; it’s wisdom. The Pittsburgh Fellows

program surrounds us with people who want to see us succeed: mentors, church

members, host families, fellow cohort members, and more.

“Good selfishness” is not about elevating yourself above others. It’s about stewarding

who you are so that you can give yourself away more fully. It’s about recognizing that

you are a finite person with specific gifts, specific limits, and a specific calling. When I

understand my strengths, I can lean into them in service of others. When I recognize my

limitations, I can invite others in instead of overextending myself.

I have learned so much about myself during my Fellows year, which in turn has led me

to serve others better. It has made my service more sustainable, my relationships

healthier, and my leadership more grounded. Sometimes serving others begins by

knowing yourself.

-Written by Catherine Maher, Class of 2026

Catherine attended Grove City College and works at Veterans Breakfast Club as a Pittsburgh Fellow.