Love @ Work Is Not Self-Seeking

Children can be unsubtle about demanding their own way. Their worlds revolve around themselves. Adults are supposed to be more mature, and see the needs of others. But sometimes I think we’re just more subtle about our self-seeking!

1 Corinthians 13:5 says that “love … is not self-seeking” (NIV) or “does not insist on its own way” (RSV) or as Phillips translates it, “does not pursue selfish advantage”. Jesus said to his disciples: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23) This self-denial seems to be at the heart of this attribute of love. It is this self-denial that causes many to turn away from a complete, radical following of Jesus.

Love shows itself most in relationships. It shows itself in subtle ways sometimes, because while it is love that drives our motivations, sometimes our actions initially suggest love when our real purpose is something else. Our role model is, as always, Jesus. And, as always, His example is radical and extreme. Paul puts it best in Philippians 2:5-8 (likely quoting an early Christian hymn).

    Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
    Who, being in very nature God,
        did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 
    but made himself nothing, 
        taking the very nature of a servant, 
        being made in human likeness. 
    And being found in appearance as a man, 
        he humbled himself 
        and became obedient to death— 
            even death on a cross!

This is as far from self-seeking as anybody has ever been. Setting aside all the privileges of deity, all His riches, all His power, all His rights, Jesus went to the opposite extreme. Note how the passage starts – Paul says this is how we are to be! Love, flowing out from the presence of the Spirit of Jesus in us, should have this same attitude. Whatever our role at work – whether executive or assistant, professional or laborer, artist or mechanic – we are called to seek the welfare and good of others and if necessary deny those things for ourselves.

Why would we do this? Because as followers of Jesus, we have given up our rights to ourselves and offered everything to Jesus. And this is what He wants from us! He wants us to become like Him, in every part of our lives including (especially) at work, and this is what he is like! Getting there will take a lifetime, but how about starting intentionally to pray for the grace to move forward on the road to authentic Christian love? How about asking the Spirit to draw our attention to times we are being self-seeking, and then asking for Him to free us from our sinful selves so that we can stop. By His power and grace alone, all things are possible!