We simply need to seek God’s love
“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
In the above passage we are given definition of what genuine godly love is, and instruction on how to live that love.
Positioned approximately in the middle of this passage we are told that love “does not seek its own.” The position of this phrase is very telling, as it serves as a sort of cornerstone for the entire passage.
Indeed, to seek the recognition and approval of others to fuel our egos, to feel or act superior to others, to behave disrespectfully, and even being quick to anger are all symptoms of putting our desires before the well-being of others. By seeking validation and gratification from external, materialistic sources, we lose sight of the truly important spiritual truths of life.
As we learn to love properly, we don’t just love God, or our neighbor, we also love ourselves. In learning to do this, we find that we are more than the physical, materialistic reality we are surrounded by.
We learn that money, possessions, and even recognition are not life’s true priorities. We learn that our own value comes from being the unique person God has created us to be, and sharing that creation with those around us as humble servants. As we grow in this love, we find that we no longer desire to seek our own. We learn that we are loved by God, and He is always seeking what is best for us; we don’t need to worry about those things that God has promised to manage for us.
God promises that those who live in His love will find favor with Himself, and with man. God also promises that He will care for our material needs, that there’s no need for us to worry about those things. God has even promised that if we are truly troubled by a thing, we need only to knock on His door and the help we need will be open to us.
In learning that we are loved and worthy of love, we no longer feel the need to gain material validation by behaving in cruel or selfish ways. We learn that our true value comes from the service from our hearts that we provide to this world. We learn that we are no more or less important than anyone else, and we learn that we do not have to seek our own. We simply need to seek God’s love.