What (or Who) Does Love Seek?

Verse: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Devotion
Love is not self-seeking.

What a challenging devotional topic to write. If I’m being honest, my usual mode of operation is to be self-seeking … focused on my own comfort, desires, and worries. Lately, I’ve seen that unfortunate evidence in my personal, work, and family life. In a number of ways, I have been selfish, haven’t thought of others, and haven’t put God first in my life. As a result, I had to smile when I realized how God always uses the opportunity to write a devotion to work on my heart in an area where I need improvement, like this one.

If love is not self-seeking, then what (or who) does love seek?

Love seeks for God first, and He will be found when we seek. God has said to us, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

Love also seeks for the Kingdom of God. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Thankfully, love never gives up seeking. In Luke 11:9-10, Jesus said, ““So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

We can’t make the change from being self-seeking to being loving on our own. But we have been given the power to decide that we want to be loving and to ask for help to make the change. Even if it’s difficult to do, we can decide that we want to seek God first, above all things, including our own cares, dreams, and worries. We can acknowledge that He is the King of our world – He is the one who should be praised and get all the glory in life for who He is and what He has done for us. We can come to Him in prayer every day, and throughout each day, asking Him to show us His love for us that we need. As a result, we will find that love will overflow back to Him and to other people in our world.

Prayer
Lord, please help us to not be self-seeking. Please help us to seek you first. Please give us your love. And help us to shine that love into the darkness of this world for others to see and feel. Amen.

Author: Chris Fraser