Thought for Today

Love of self or love of God: which predominates in our lives?

In the previous post we saw some of the disastrous effects of loving self instead of loving God. Yet love of self, in and of its own, is something God states that that is something everyone does, including Christians. The key is to place the love of God first, not the love of self.

There was a famous medieval theologian, Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153) who described love in his treatise, “On the Love of God.” He spoke of four progressive levels in relation to love of self and love of God. They are: love of self for self’s sake; love of God for self’s sake; love of God for God’s sake; love of self for God’s sake.

Everyone starts at the first level, love of self for self’s sake. That is where we are apart from Christ. Biblically, self rules in the place of God. After coming to Christ typically people start by loving God for what He gives them; self still predominates. We love God for His saving us, for what Christ’s death did for us, perhaps God’s delivering us from a specific addiction.

As we grow in faith, we then come to love God for who He is, not for what He gives us. We love God because He is worthy of Love, that He alone is Creator, Sustainer, Holy, without equal. Still later, we eventually come to love ourselves based on God’s love for us, a love of gratitude for what God has done, not a love to selfish ends. Bernard theorized that this last love wouldn’t be reached until eternity, given the reality of human sin while we’re alive on earth. Admittedly, we’re talking human theology here, not Scripture, but I think his illustration reinforces the point.

God through Paul, in Romans 8, contrasts the difference, the life led and dictated according to the self, compared to a life based on loving God. Either we walk according to the flesh, the self, or according to the Spirit. As Christians, we either live as self directs or as the Holy Spirit directs. For those in the world, there’s no choice. Living for self is it.

Romans 8:5–9 (NAU): “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”

We either live in hostility to God or in obedience to Him. Our natural selves cannot submit to God, cannot please Him. As stated several times, that is the state of non-believers. As believers we have the choice, to ether walk with God, or according to our old way of serving self. Serving self does not end well.

Yet, even for us as Christians, it is hard. We get sidetracked so easily. Philippians 2:20 is sobering. In this verse, Paul is describing Timothy, “For I have no one else aof kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare.” Think of all Paul’s ministry and traveling companions. According to Paul, Timothy is unique in his genuine care and concern for others. Is it any wonder that the only way to overcome living for self, is to walk via the Holy Spirit, according to His directions?

That leads to a time honored question, one that every Christian has asked at some point: “God, what is Your will for me?” We’ll take a brief look at that question in the next post.