Love as Brethren – Don’t be selfish!

Hello everyone,

How are you doing on this day? I hope well and bubbling in the Lord.

Primary Text

“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren …” 1 Peter 3v8 (KJV)

One thing that love isn’t, is selfish. 1 Corinthians 13v5 tells us that “Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking;” “…isn’t always “me first”” (MSG). You have probably heard or maybe said yourself, “well if you love me, you should do this for me.” Love isn’t self-seeking. If you love your brethren as you love yourself, you should be able to ask, wow, would I like this if someone did this to me or insisted I did things their own way? To be self-seeking could be “having or showing an exclusive preoccupation with one’s profit or interest.” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/self-seeking?s=t). While to be selfish means “devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one’s own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others… chiefly concerned with one’s own interest, advantage, etc, esp to the total exclusion of the interests of others.” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/selfish?s=t). Love is not self-seeking and it is not selfish. As a husband, wife, parent, child, sibling, brother and sister in the Lord, are you content with just seeing your own needs, opinions, and interests being advanced, regardless of what happens to everyone else? Do you only love when it is beneficial to you or because you can get something out of it? Love is not selfish! Galatians 5v13 (AMP) tells us that “For you, brethren, were [indeed] called to freedom; only [do not let your] freedom be an incentive to your flesh and an opportunity or excuse [for selfishness], but through love you should serve one another.” Even with God, we cannot be insisting on our ways. Luke 9v23 (NLT) says “Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow Me while, Psalm 119v36 (NIV) saying “Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.” The love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit of God (Romans 5v5), and God’s love in us is not selfish.

Supplementary Text

“My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?” Galatians 5v16-18 (MSG).

Father, I thank You for Your love for me. Father, please search my heart, and uproot every selfish inclination in me, and help me to serve my brethren in love in Jesus name, amen. I yield to Your leading Spirit of the living God in Jesus name, amen.