Treasured Vignettes
“Love does not seek its own . . .” 1 Corinthians 13:5 (paraphrase)
The doctrine of the arrogant is that “self-interest is the motive and valid end of action” (The Merriam-Webster Dictionary); that self is of utmost importance in all he thinks, feels, decides and does. If the arrogant feels need, he will stoop to any hypocrisy, any manipulation, any deceit to meet his own needs and desires. Moral ethics are situational and the arrogant hold to no absolutes or standards that would require self-sacrifice. Arrogance was the sin crouching at the door of Cain’s heart, ready to attack and destroy him. Cain, in seeking his own, slew his brother, Abel. The view of the arrogant is narrowed to such extreme that the very existence of “another” does not breech his conscience. But, Love’s view is wide. Love’s scope takes in all that is and what would or could be. Love feels no need to seek its own for love knows that he is graciously cared for, provided for. Even in poverty, love finds a way to bless another. Love is confident that his present condition does not define his state of being or limit his capacity to be generous to another. To Love, self-sacrifice is not a loathsome burden but a promise of joy fulfilled. Think about it.
© S.M. Hudson, Hidden Treasure Ministries, December 2003. All rights reserved.
Categories: love, self-interest