“Do everything in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14).

Jesus had a love-first mentality. Therefore, we also want to have a love-first mentality.

Love isn’t wishy-washy or wobbly. It is a resolute commitment to seeking the good of others. It honours God and is often self-sacrificing.

But it takes some work. Our default setting is to take a me-first mentality. This is a part of our sin nature. It is natural for us to be selfish. So we need to be intentional and seek God’s help if we want to re-program our thinking to seek his will first and attend to the needs of the people around us.

Greg Nettle tells a story about sponsoring a child in Ecuador. When he and his wife visited her they gave her a bunch of candy. The child immediately turned around and distributed the candy to everyone else on the bus. When the child turned around she didn’t have a single piece of candy left for herself. But her friends were now happy!*

Self-sacrifice is about putting others first. While it might make us think about someone literally laying down their life for a person or cause, or adopting abandoned children, or selling your beloved possessions to fund a dangerous mission trip, it also includes daily decisions to put other people’s needs before your own wants.

Like a child giving away their candy. 

Adopt a love-first mentality. Put their needs before your wants. “Do everything in love.”

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Notes:

–“Bleedership.” Sermon. March 26, 2023. Click here.

–“An interview at Life 100.3FM about The Up Devotional, Christian radio, music, and God’s work at church.” I was invited to share some thoughts at Ontario’s Christian Superstation recently. Here is a podcast of my talk with David Mann and Steve Jones. Click here.

–*Greg Nettle and Santiago “Jimmy” Mellado, Small Matters (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016), 38.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.