Characteristics of Love: Love lets the Other win
Philippians 2:3-4 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Philippians 2:3-4(NLT) Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
Philippians 2:3-4 ( AMP) Do nothing from factional motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of humility (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves]. Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not [merely] his own interests, but also each for the interests of others.
Introduction: Glory be to God in the highest who has not allowed famine of His words among us in this world of moral decadence.
🙏 May our eyes of understanding be enlightened to know the hope of His calling and the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus in our homes in Jesus name.
In continuation of characteristics of God’s kind of Love, the 12th characteristic is: Love lets the Other win
Starting from our homes where charity/love begins, let us think about reasons for long arguments and strifes as couples, which usually exists where we want to win or prove that we have better points thereby create factions in the home.
Amplified version of our text expanded that wanting to win arguments is related to contentiousness, strife and selfishness which is prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Humanly speaking, most of us if not all are guilty.
Sometimes in the course of arguments with my wife and she asked if we are in competition, I used to pause and tell myself that competitive spirit tends to win, then most times I give up since I know that my purpose is not for competition atimes human nature makes me to continue to stress my points as she insists to stress her points which usually ends badly. Both are guilty considering today’s topic.
🛑 Love that comes from God lets other win. Where couples let go arguments in humility and take each other as superior, having interests of one another at heart, peace of God will continually dwell in such home.
I heard the story of two couples living adjacent to each other and can hear clearly if there is any argument or strife from their flats. Couple A are always in contention most times while Couple B coexists peaceably without hearing arguments or fighting from their flat. One day, Couple A heard sound of broken flower vase from Couple B’s flat and both rushed to view what happened. They observed that husband B rushed to assist his wife to pack broken glasses. The wife was apologising profusely for breaking the lovely flower vase while the husband hugged his wife also apologising that he was at fault for not putting it properly. Both hugged themselves lovingly and cleared the rubbish.
Couple A saw this, looked at one another and realised why Couple B experienced peace in their home as none of them claimed to be right or perfect. No winner No vanquished.
Remember when there was misunderstanding between Abraham and Lot due to strife among Abraham’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen.
👂Hear what Abraham who manifested God’s love said to Lot.
Genesis 13:8-9 And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
🛑 God’s kind of Love lets the other win. Lot and his herdsmen felt victorious as Lot was allowed to choose what seems best for their cattle business. God blessed Abraham and turned what seems barren to land flowing with milk and honey.
❓Can you allow your spouse to win and avoid strife thereby allowing God who knows the end from the beginning to come in and change things for better in the home? Let your spouse win.
Do you also remember Selfless love displayed by Jonathan to David?
1 Samuel 18:1-4 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
🛑 God’s kind of Love makes the loved one a winner. Jonathan stripped himself of Royal robe with his weapons to David whom he loved as his soul.
❓Do you still remember your covenant or marriage vows with your spouse? To which extent can you make your spouse a winner in career, business and in every aspect?
Another perfect example for us as Christian couples is Jesus Christ our Bridegroom. Seeing that Christians, the Bride of Christ are made winners, we ought to love our wives as Christ loves the Church and gave His life for her thereby making Christians winners.
2 Corinthians 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
🛑 The love of God in us, which makes our spouse to be better than us, will see abuse as a sacrilege in our marriage. Others without the knowledge or revelation of God’s word may see you as a poor weakling husband while God exalts you and your family above those with tradition of men.
❓ What practical steps are we to take as we walk in love this week?
Demonstrate love by willingly choosing to give in to an area of disagreement between you and your spouse. Tell them you are putting their preference first.
✍ Finally brethren, what makes the difference between God’s love and worldly love is thinking of others as better than ourselves, thereby considering interests of others more than what interests us.
God’s kind of Love makes us deal with one another in righteousness while those controlled by the prince of this world will deal with one another in unrighteousness.
1 John 3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
✋ Maranatha
