Love Essential # 5 - Selflessness

Love Essential # 5 is Selflessness = the lack of selfishness. 1 Corinthians 13:5 says that love is “not self- seeking” = Love is not enamored with self-gain or self-justification. The “rudeness,” “envy,” “anger,” “keeping a record of wrongs done to us,” “boasting,” and “pride” described in 1 Corinthians 13 as the opposites of love have one thing in common – selfishness.

In Romans 12:3 Paul says, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment . . . .” We are instructed to have a proper assessment of ourselves – not putting ourselves down or having a low self image. To “not think of yourself more highly than you ought” means that we consider others feelings, their persons, their perspectives, and see them on equal ground with us at the foot of the cross.

How much of church life would change if each person had a proper assessment of who they are, and who they are in the body of Christ? Looking at things through the eyes of others instead of looking at them through our personal concern of “how everything will affect me” would put a totally new twist on business meetings, accepting others, defensiveness, arguments, “the silent treatment,” non-forgiveness and many other things that keep people from desiring Jesus.

Jesus’ love gives us a proper sense of who we are – our strengths and limitations – and it gives us the ability to see and treat others as Jesus sees them and treats them. I believe that if we loved people as Jesus loves us, we would not find room enough in the church to accommodate all of those who would be irresistibly drawn to Jesus because of our love for each other.

Growing in love ~ Bob