Self-Seeking

Introverted1293

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I know that this should be obvious. But it is not so obvious to me.

The Bible talks about self-seeking. It says in 1 Corinthians 13 that love is not self-seeking. I don't fully understand what that means. Does that mean that you can't have any kind of ambition for your own life? And what about people who keep to themselves? How does one learn not to be self-seeking, while minding their own business?

I guess I am saying that I don't understand the difference between self-seeking and completely minding your own business.
 

Aaron_Bethlhm

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Someone who seeks to mind their own business for selfish reasons, like avoiding helping others, or avoiding responsibilities they have , would be the same as self-seeking .... i.e. selfish, self-serving, etc ...

But this does not mean they can insert themselves into someone else's business either.... not be a busy-body nor a gossip, which also would be sin.

The Gospel actually is seeking God's Kingdom first, Jesus centered, always doing as Jesus and the Father say to do.
 
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Akita Suggagaki

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Self seeking in that sense is seeking your own selfish benefit especially at the expense of others. Not related to minding your own business at all. But as an introvert I know I can become too self focused and lack compassion, generosity and concern for others. Thos eare my biggest spiritual challenges.
 
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DiscipleHeLovesToo

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I know that this should be obvious. But it is not so obvious to me.

The Bible talks about self-seeking. It says in 1 Corinthians 13 that love is not self-seeking. I don't fully understand what that means. Does that mean that you can't have any kind of ambition for your own life? And what about people who keep to themselves? How does one learn not to be self-seeking, while minding their own business?

I guess I am saying that I don't understand the difference between self-seeking and completely minding your own business.

Amplified version:
(1Co 13:1) If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love [for others growing out of God's love for me], then I have become only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal [just an annoying distraction].
(1Co 13:2) And if I have the gift of prophecy [and speak a new message from God to the people], and understand all mysteries, and [possess] all knowledge; and if I have all [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love [reaching out to others], I am nothing.
(1Co 13:3) If I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it does me no good at all.
(1Co 13:4) Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant.
(1Co 13:5) It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured.
(1Co 13:6) It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail].
(1Co 13:7) Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening].
(1Co 13:8) Love never fails [it never fades nor ends]. But as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for the gift of special knowledge, it will pass away.


the Bible defines and interprets itself, so 'self-seeking' would not "endure with patience and serenity", would not 'be kind and thoughtful', would be 'jealous and envious', would 'brag', would 'be proud and arrogant', etc.

'minding your own business' would be willing to help a stranger, but respectful of a stranger's privacy too.

but we want to be led by God, and He is Love (1John 4:15-17); He knows what's in a stranger's heart, and when they would be receptive to Him ministering to them through us :)
 
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Pavel Mosko

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I know that this should be obvious. But it is not so obvious to me.

The Bible talks about self-seeking. It says in 1 Corinthians 13 that love is not self-seeking. I don't fully understand what that means. Does that mean that you can't have any kind of ambition for your own life? And what about people who keep to themselves? How does one learn not to be self-seeking, while minding their own business?

I guess I am saying that I don't understand the difference between self-seeking and completely minding your own business.

It's pretty easy. It's when we are faced with a crises between following God and doing what we want to do, or otherwise avoiding suffering and persecution.

e.g. - Like Christ at Gethsemane, Abraham told to offer up Isaac, the apostles not stopping preaching Christ when threatened by the Sanhedrin, really any time of being tempted to take the easy way instead of suffering when it comes to the Gospel, or what is right.
 
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paul1149

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Does that mean that you can't have any kind of ambition for your own life?
The words are neutral there - simply: does not seek its own. That doesn't mean you have no ego, no desires, no plans, etc. It means you use your life to help others according to the will of God, or writ large, to establish Christ's Kingdom. You might decide to go to law school for instance, and then use the career to help those who need it. You won't use what you have at others' expense, but rather to serve them.
 
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Maria Billingsley

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I know that this should be obvious. But it is not so obvious to me.

The Bible talks about self-seeking. It says in 1 Corinthians 13 that love is not self-seeking. I don't fully understand what that means. Does that mean that you can't have any kind of ambition for your own life? And what about people who keep to themselves? How does one learn not to be self-seeking, while minding their own business?

I guess I am saying that I don't understand the difference between self-seeking and completely minding your own business.
When you pass a homeless person, (Jesus said the poor will always be with us) do you help within your capacity or do you pass them by with no regard? If you help, then your love is not self-seeking. If you pass them by, then your love is for yourself. Be blessed.
 
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St_Worm2

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Hello @Introverted1293, in 1 Corinthians 13 the Apostle takes a look at the kind of love that comes from God Himself (ἀγάπη, transliterated "agape"), the kind of love that we, as Christians, are always supposed to express towards others, believers and unbelievers alike. He tells us how important this particular kind of "godly" love is by pointing out that anything that we do as Christians APART from it is useless, beneficial to no one, including ourselves .. e.g. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.

In verses 4-8, St. Paul defines what ἀγάπη (godly love) is by breaking it down for us/giving us the "ingredients" (so to speak) that make it up, and thereby giving us a sense of what godly love is supposed to look like (the first two "ingredients" in ἀγάπη being "patience" and "kindness", for instance .. 1 Corinthians 13:4).

Godly love seeks the good/benefit/blessing of others exclusively, without any thought of self (so there is no sense of a quid pro quo, for instance, no sense whatsoever of expecting something in return from a person who has benefitted/been blessed by something that you've done for them).

We are to seek God and trust Him for ~everything~ that we need. When we do so, it gives us the ability to love others, even those who mistreat us, like God loves both us and them. As the Lord Jesus tells us,

Matthew 5
43 You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’
44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47 If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
48 Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

God bless you!

--David
p.s. - here's something else from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount that tells us how we are to love or treat others .. no matter how they may have chosen to treat us in the past and/or how they are actually treating us in the moment.

Matthew 7
12 However you want people to treat you, so treat them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

.
 
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Sketcher

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I know that this should be obvious. But it is not so obvious to me.

The Bible talks about self-seeking. It says in 1 Corinthians 13 that love is not self-seeking. I don't fully understand what that means. Does that mean that you can't have any kind of ambition for your own life? And what about people who keep to themselves? How does one learn not to be self-seeking, while minding their own business?

I guess I am saying that I don't understand the difference between self-seeking and completely minding your own business.
If you've ever been around someone who will help you for the purpose of getting their meathooks into you, that's a prime example of someone who needs to be corrected by this verse. So is the kind of person who is known for being inconsiderate of others - the world as far as they are concerned, ought to revolve around them, and when it doesn't seem to, they throw a fit. This isn't to say that we're supposed to be doormats, but if someone asks to speak to a manager on a semi-regular basis and isn't being paid explicitly to do so, that person is probably self-seeking.

Since I've been switching to the ESV, here's the passage in that translation - perhaps different wording will help.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.​
 
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bottoWordx

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I know that this should be obvious. But it is not so obvious to me.

The Bible talks about self-seeking. It says in 1 Corinthians 13 that love is not self-seeking. I don't fully understand what that means. Does that mean that you can't have any kind of ambition for your own life? And what about people who keep to themselves? How does one learn not to be self-seeking, while minding their own business?

I guess I am saying that I don't understand the difference between self-seeking and completely minding your own business.
There are different loves, many of which are in fact lusts.
Where is your heart and what's in it?

1 John 4:19
We love Him because He first loved us.

John 12:25
He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Philippians 2:3
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

Galatians 5
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
 
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longwait

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I know that this should be obvious. But it is not so obvious to me.

The Bible talks about self-seeking. It says in 1 Corinthians 13 that love is not self-seeking. I don't fully understand what that means. Does that mean that you can't have any kind of ambition for your own life? And what about people who keep to themselves? How does one learn not to be self-seeking, while minding their own business?

I guess I am saying that I don't understand the difference between self-seeking and completely minding your own business.

Be selfless and not selfish.
 
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SANTOSO

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I know that this should be obvious. But it is not so obvious to me.

The Bible talks about self-seeking. It says in 1 Corinthians 13 that love is not self-seeking. I don't fully understand what that means. Does that mean that you can't have any kind of ambition for your own life? And what about people who keep to themselves? How does one learn not to be self-seeking, while minding their own business?

I guess I am saying that I don't understand the difference between self-seeking and completely minding your own business.

Meditate Luke 10:38-42, choose what Mary choose ! Then you will understand.
 
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