1 Corinthians 13:5b
Ps Paul Cheng
“…himself first, others second and God last…”
~3 min read
Seeketh not her own (1 Corinthians 13:5b)
The Apostle Paul exhorted the Philippians, 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). The unbeliever naturally puts himself first, others second and God last. But the Bible teaches us to reverse the series; God is to be first, others second and we last.
Dear friend, are you a selfish person? Are you someone who puts yourself first, others second, and God last? If we want to know the truth about ourselves, all we need to do is to ask ourselves these questions, “What are our desires? What are our decisions? What are our devotions?”
Desires — We may have many desires. For example, we want to go to college, secure a good job, get married, buy a new house, save money for holidays, enter into a business venture, etc. While all these desires may not be sinful, what have they got to do with God and others? If none of our desires has anything to do with God's glory or for the good of others, and they are all about ourselves, what does it tell us about ourselves? How can we say we have lived our lives serving the chief purpose “the chief end of God is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever (WSC 1).” If we do not obey God, to love Him and others, how can we glorify Him?
Decisions — We need to consider all our decisions because they will reveal our hearts’ desires. We may say, “We love the Lord with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all minds, and our neighbours as ourselves.” But the decisions we make in life will reveal whether we are true or not. How often do we make decisions only based on how they would affect us, without considering how they would affect others? How often do we make decisions only based on how we feel, without considering how they would affect the feelings of others?
Even within our families, the decisions we make for our children, are they really for their own good, or are they just decisions based on what we want our children to be? The decisions we make in regard to our families, marriages, jobs, services in the church, where to live and where to send our children for schools, do we consider our decision in light of how they would affect God and the people around us? Or do we only think about ourselves?
Devotions – Our desires will reveal themselves in the decisions we make, and they in turn will inevitably affect our commitments or devotions. If we have true love in our hearts, we will make long term commitments and devotions that require sacrifice and faithfulness. But on the other hand, if we are selfish, and only think about ourselves, we will make the kind of commitment that says, “I will continue to do this, as long as I can see the benefits. But the moment it becomes too troublesome or inconvenient, or it requires me to make sacrifices, I am out of here!”
That is the reason why many people are “jumping in-and-out” of marital relationships because of this carnal mindset, “I am committed to this marital relationship, as long as I feel it is beneficial. But once there is no more ‘spark’ (romance), and it is too burdensome, I will call it quits!”
That is also how many people are treating their services in the church, “I do not mind to be a member, or to serve, as long as it is convenient for me. But once it encroaches into my personal time and family life, I will throw in the towel!”
But if we have true love which is not selfish, seeketh not her own, we will not behave like that. We will understand what it means to take the marriage vow, “till death do us part.” We will understand what it means to pledge the church membership vow to serve the Lord - though others may give up but we will press up and persevere. We will understand what it means to love the Lord with all our hearts, souls and strength, and our neighbours as ourselves. We will truly mean what we say, and what we say is truly what we mean!
With love in Christ,
Pastor Paul Cheng
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The Qualities Of Love (Part 5) — Love Is Not Puffed UpThe Qualities Of Love (Part 5) — Love Is Not Puffed Up1 Corinthians 13:4e
The Qualities Of Love (Part 4) — Love Vaunteth Not ItselfThe Qualities Of Love (Part 4) — Love Vaunteth Not Itself1 Corinthians 13:4d
The Qualities Of Love (Part 3) — Love Envieth NotThe Qualities Of Love (Part 3) — Love Envieth NotCorinthians 13:4c
The Qualities Of Love (Part 9) — Love Thinketh No EvilThe Qualities Of Love (Part 9) — Love Thinketh No Evil1 Corinthians 13:5d
The Qualities Of Love (Part 7) — Love Is Not SelfishThe Qualities Of Love (Part 7) — Love Is Not Selfish1 Corinthians 13:5b
The Qualities Of Love (Part 8) — Love Is Not Easily ProvokedThe Qualities Of Love (Part 8) — Love Is Not Easily Provoked1 Corinthians 13:5c
The Qualities Of Love (Part 6) — Love Does Not MisbehaveThe Qualities Of Love (Part 6) — Love Does Not Misbehave1 Corinthians 13:5a
The Qualities Of Love (Part 10) — Love Rejoiceth Not In IniquityThe Qualities Of Love (Part 10) — Love Rejoiceth Not In Iniquity1 Corinthians 13:6a
The Qualities Of Love (Part 11) — Love Rejoiceth In The TruthThe Qualities Of Love (Part 11) — Love Rejoiceth In The Truth1 Corinthians 13:6b
The Qualities Of Love (Part 15) — Love Endureth All ThingsThe Qualities Of Love (Part 15) — Love Endureth All Things1 Corinthians 13:7d
The Qualities Of Love (Part 14) — Love Hopeth All ThingsThe Qualities Of Love (Part 14) — Love Hopeth All Things1 Corinthians 13:7c
The Qualities Of Love (Part 12) — Love Bears All ThingsThe Qualities Of Love (Part 12) — Love Bears All Things1 Corinthians 13:7a
The Qualities Of Love (Part 13) — Love Believeth All ThingsThe Qualities Of Love (Part 13) — Love Believeth All Things1 Corinthians 13:7b
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