Love denies itself for others (v.5)

“Love does not insist on its own way.” 1 Corinthians 13:5

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In our culture we are obsessed with ourselves. Seeing ourselves merely as material beings results in a longing to find a “self”. Self-directed love is seen as a fundamental birthright, but “self-directed love leads to personal and societal disaster when it is severed from God-directed love” (Sinclair Ferguson).

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There is a proper love of self, rooted in the realisation that we are made in the image of God and therefore our lives are of great value. It’s that identity in us which causes our inner longing for significance, but without God all we have left is ourselves and a life that is ultimately meaningless. Jesus, who is the perfect image of God, came to restore that fallen image in us. Through faith in him, self-directed love is transformed into love for God and neighbour.

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When Christ’s love controls us, we live not for ourselves but for him (2 Cor.5:14-15). With that comes the call to deny ourselves (Luke 9:23-24), not insisting on our own way or our own preferences. It’s a call to die to self-love in order to be set free to love others with the love of Christ.