Love is not self-seeking
I am beginning to see a theme. Love and selfishness do not mix. They cannot co-exist even. You can not have it both ways.
As I was thinking about how love is not self-seeking I was reminded of how Jesus earthly ministry begins. I was thinking about the the time after Jesus is baptised in the Jordan River by John the Baptist and then immediately he is led by the Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days. We are told that Jesus ate nothing during this time and was tempted by the devil. For 40 days Jesus is pressured, prodded, and proposition by the devil to seek something other than God's will for his live. The devil tries as hard as he can to get Jesus to stop loving us. To love himself more. He tries to convince him to think about himself and not about us. Maybe because even the devil knows that selfishness and love do not go together.
The devils first move is to try to convince a hungry Jesus to turn stones into bread to feed himself. The next move, the devil offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and all their authority and splendor. All Jesus has to do is worship him. The offer is for Jesus to be the King of Kings without the cross. The devil offers Jesus a shortcut. Love does not take the shortcut. Without the cross we could not be restored into a relationship with God. Jesus loves us and wants to have a relationship with us for all eternity. It is not about kingdoms and authority it is about love. His mission will not take shortcuts. If he is self-seeking he probably takes the shortcut. If he is self-seeking he probably whips up some bread for dinner. But, Jesus is not seeking what is in it for him. He is thinking about you and me. He is not seeking his own comfort or his own glory. He is seeking us. He come to seek and to save us.
The move from self-centered to God centered happens as we move from being self-seeking to God-seeking. As we seek first God and his Kingdom all others things are added to us and our love becomes more like his. This is not self loathing or not loving yourself it is about loving God and loving others. It is about seeking God not self. Love is not self-seeking. Jesus gives us the example.
In Christ's love and mine,
Doug
As I was thinking about how love is not self-seeking I was reminded of how Jesus earthly ministry begins. I was thinking about the the time after Jesus is baptised in the Jordan River by John the Baptist and then immediately he is led by the Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days. We are told that Jesus ate nothing during this time and was tempted by the devil. For 40 days Jesus is pressured, prodded, and proposition by the devil to seek something other than God's will for his live. The devil tries as hard as he can to get Jesus to stop loving us. To love himself more. He tries to convince him to think about himself and not about us. Maybe because even the devil knows that selfishness and love do not go together.
The devils first move is to try to convince a hungry Jesus to turn stones into bread to feed himself. The next move, the devil offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and all their authority and splendor. All Jesus has to do is worship him. The offer is for Jesus to be the King of Kings without the cross. The devil offers Jesus a shortcut. Love does not take the shortcut. Without the cross we could not be restored into a relationship with God. Jesus loves us and wants to have a relationship with us for all eternity. It is not about kingdoms and authority it is about love. His mission will not take shortcuts. If he is self-seeking he probably takes the shortcut. If he is self-seeking he probably whips up some bread for dinner. But, Jesus is not seeking what is in it for him. He is thinking about you and me. He is not seeking his own comfort or his own glory. He is seeking us. He come to seek and to save us.
The move from self-centered to God centered happens as we move from being self-seeking to God-seeking. As we seek first God and his Kingdom all others things are added to us and our love becomes more like his. This is not self loathing or not loving yourself it is about loving God and loving others. It is about seeking God not self. Love is not self-seeking. Jesus gives us the example.
In Christ's love and mine,
Doug
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