Unveiling the Essence of Love: A Journey Beyond Self-Seeking Attention

 

Unveiling the Essence of Love: A Journey Beyond Self-Seeking Affection

Today’s Bible Study compared the thoughts and actions of an infant to the ones of a mature state. Before we dive into the Bible Study, let’s do some verse mapping. 

Verse Mapping is a method of studying the Bible that involves breaking down a verse or passage into its individual parts and analyzing each one. This can help us gain deeper understanding of the meaning behind the words. 

Bible Translations: KJV, AMP, ESV, NIV, NLV

Bible Study Focus: 1 Corinthians 13

Bible Key Verse(s): 11

Bible Key Word(s): put away

(KJV, 11)”When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when  I became a man, I put away childish things.”

(AMP,11)”When I was a child, I talked lille a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child: now that I have become like a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside”

(ESV,11)”When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.”

(NIV,11)”When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.”

(NLV,11)”When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I understood like a child. Now I am a man, I do not act like a child anymore.”

Love is a universal concept that has been talked about for centuries. The Bible has a lot to say about love, and it gives us a deeper understanding of what it means to love others. In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, the Apostle Paul describes love in great detail, saying that love is patient, kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not proud, does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth, always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. 

Breaking this passage down into its individual parts, we can see that:

• Love is patient. This means that love is willing to wait and endure through difficult times.

• Love is kind. This means that love is compassionate, considerate, and thoughtful of others.

• Love does not envy. This means that love is not jealous of others or their possessions.

• Love does not boast. This means that love is humble and does not seek to draw attention to itself. 

• Love is not proud. This means that love is not arrogant or haughty.

• Love does not dishonor others. This means that love is respectful of others and treats them with dignity.

• Love is not self-seeking. This means that love is not motivated by personal gain or satisfaction.

• Love is not easily angered. This means that love is patient and slow to anger. 

• Love keeps no record of wrongs. This means that love is forgiving and does not hold grudges. 

• Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. This means that love is morally upright and does not take pleasure in wrongdoing.

• Love always protects. This means that love is willing to stand up for others and defend them.

• Love always trusts. This means that love believes the best in others and gives them the benefit of the doubt.

• Love always hopes. This means that love is optimistic and looks for the good in situations. 

• Love always perseveres. This means that love is persistent and does not give up easily. 

As we can see, the characteristics of love described in this passage ara all selfless and focused on others. They are the opposite of self-seeking affection and require a mature and sacrificial attitude towards others. 

One of the most challenging aspects of love is to move beyond self-seeking affection. Self-seeking love is a love that is focused on personal gain and satisfaction. It is love that is motivated by what one can get from the other person rather than what one can give. This type of love is superficial and does not reflect the true essence of what it means to love. 

The Bible teaches us that love is not just an emotion or feeling; it is an action. 

Love is an act of giving, not receiving. It is sacrificial, putting the needs of others before our own. As Christians, we are called to love one another as Christ loved us. This means that we must be willing to lay down our lives for others, just as Christ did for us. 

To move beyond self-seeking affection, we must learn to love unconditionally. This means loving without expecting anything in return. It means giving of ourselves freely and generously, without reservation or hesitation. It means forgiving other, even when they have wronged us. It means seeking the good of others, even when it is not convenient or easy. 

In order to love unconditionally, we must first receive the love of God. We cannot give what we do not have. When we experience the love of God in our own lives, we are able to love others with the same kind of love. This is the kind of love that transforms lives and brings healing to broken relationships. 

S.O.U.L Bible Study Method

S: “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child: now that I have become like a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside.”

O: In verse 11, Paul is comparing spiritual maturity to growing up from childhood to adulthood. When we are children, we think, and act differently than we do as adults. We are more focused on ourselves and our immediate desires, and we lack the wisdom and understanding that comes with experience. Likewise, we are new Christians, we may have a limited understanding of God and His ways. We may be more focused on our own needs and desires, and we may struggle to see the bigger picture of God’s plan for our lives. 

U: The journey beyond self-seeking affection requires us to adopt the characteristics of love described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. We must be patient, kind, humble, respectful, forgiving, and willing to protect and defend others. As we learn to love in this way, we will experience the fullness of God’s love and be light to the world around us. In essence, 1 Corinthians 13:11 is a reminder that we are called to grow and mature in our faith, just as we grow and mature from childhood to adulthood. We are called to put aside our childish ways and embrace a more way of thinking and acting, one that is grounded in love and guided by the wisdom of God. First Corinthians 13:11 is a powerful reminder of the importance of spiritual maturity and the need to grow and change as we journey through our lives as Christians. It challenges us to put aside our childish ways and embrace a more mature understanding of God and His plan for our lives.

L: Lord, we come before You today with grateful hearts, thankful for the reminder that we must grow in our faith and maturity as Christians. Help us to be patient, kind, humble, respectful, forgiving, and willing to protect and defend others. We know that we can only love in this way through Your strength and guidance. As we love to learn in this way, we may experience the fullness of Your love and be a light to the world around us. May our actions and words be guided by Your wisdom and may we put aside our childish ways and embrace a more mature way of thinking and acting. Help us to always seek to understand Your plan for our lives and to trust in Your goodness and faithfulness. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.