Characteristics of Love: Love is Not Selfish
1 Corinthians 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
1 Corinthians 13:5(GNS) Love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs;
1 Corinthians 13:5(NLT) or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
Introduction: Welcome to another glorious week at His feet as we feed from the Living word.
🙏 I pray that the Almighty God by His Mercy will keep us to the end in Jesus name
In continuation of characteristics of God’s kind of Love, the third characteristic according to the Scriptures is: Love is Not Selfish
To be selfish means to care only about oneself. Therefore, Love is Not selfish means that God’s kind of Love does not care only about oneself but give preference to others especially the beloved.
Using our homes as an exhibit for practical step to God’s kind of Love, can we say we give preference to our spouses we proclaim to love? Remember charity begins at home.
Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Romans 12:10(NLT) Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
Romans 12:10(MSG) Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.
I love the way message version of Romans 12:10 put it; to be good friends with deep love NOT shallow love and to “practice playing second fiddle”.
❓How many spouse will prefer his wife or her husband in good things?
Many couples are in competition when it comes to education, money, acquisition of assets and other good things of life. That’s why spouses do not consider making each other next of Kin.
Where you see husband or wife labouring for the success of the spouse, he or she will be condemned and discouraged using several examples of those who failed in that venture. There are negative lectures everywhere and on social media that bring fear and mistrust to the heart of young couples who started with love. There are wrong counsels from human philosophy and traditions to young Christian couples on social media not to trust their partners.
Christians also support husbands and wives making their children, parents and siblings their next of Kin with reasons to support their actions. Christians do not bother to check or ask God, the creator of marriage institution for His opinion on that matter and any other matter pertaining to marriage but rely on opinions of men.
Some years ago, my wife went to one of the share registry to perfect and bought more shares in our names. One of the staff who did not know my wife called her aside to convince her by removing her husband’s name. I have no issue with such counsel, it is usually based on human experiences which shall surely come from anywhere. But it is an error to take to human counsels without seeking God’s direction. God’s opinion is usually unpopular among men because narrow is the way that leads to life and very few people find it.
We have seen that God’s kind of Love is Not Selfish, but gives preference to others especially the beloved. Therefore any action taken through selfish ambition will be defiance of God’s truth and full of falsehood.
James 3:14(NLT) But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying.
Where actions are on selfish ambition in any home, there will be confusion, disharmony, mistrust, rebellion and all sorts of evil.
James 3:16(AMP) For wherever there is jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry and selfish ambition), there will also be confusion (unrest, disharmony, rebellion) and all sorts of evil and vile practices.
James 3:16(NLT) For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.
Selfless love for your spouse puts importance or preference to matrimony because whatever you put your time, energy, and money into will become more important to you.
❓What investment do you put in your spouse and family?
🛑 It’s hard to care for something you are not investing in.
❓What practical step are we to take this week?
Along with restraining from negative comments, buy your spouse something that says, “I was thinking of you today.”
✍ Finally brethren, whenever we ask God for anything with selfish motives, He refuses to answer us. We can deceive man but God can never be deceived.
James 4:3(AMP) [Or] you do ask [God for them] and yet fail to receive, because you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives. Your intention is [when you get what you desire] to spend it in sensual pleasures.
Revenge will remove peace and bliss from any home. Seek God’s kind of Love that is Patient, Kind and Selfless, trust only in God and not your abilities or riches. God will lift you high even when you are disappointed by your loved ones as long as you exhibits God’s kind of Love. Do not seek revenge against the one you confess to love but rely on God Who knows how to fight for you without disruption of blissful relationship in your home.
Romans 12:19(NLT) Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the lord.
✋ Maranatha.
