Living for Others

Living for Others

Love is to seek the others’ best. Self-love is to seek your own best. Love can be more or less evident. This also applies to self-love.

The commandment of the old covenant was: You shall love your neighbor as yourself, that is, think just as much of the other’s best as about your own; have just as great a care for the other’s best as for your own best. Now we are living in the time of the new covenant, in the dispensation of grace in which all of us have opportunity to attain to perfection. However, the sad thing is that most worshipers of God do not even come close to fulfilling the goal of the light and the commands of the old covenant.

And yet, this light and this goal were insufficient in God’s eyes. Therefore the old covenant was replaced by a new and better covenant, a far stronger light and a much higher goal. It was so much higher and more glorious that the old covenant’s command to love your neighbor as yourself is but a shadow of the new covenant! So, what is the new covenant?

The new covenant is this: “Let no one seek his own [best!], but each one the others’ well-being [best].” 1 Cor. 10:24. And “not seeking my own profit . . . .” V. 33. Therefore: seek the profit of the others not fifty percent but one hundred percent; seek only the others’ profit; seek only the others’ salvation; live only for the others.

Then what about myself, my own needs, my own profit, my own salvation? That is governed by this divine and royal law of the Spirit of life: “Give, and it will be given to you” and “He who waters will also be watered himself.” Luke 6:38; Prov. 11:25.

In Song of Solomon 1:6 we find a fitting expression: “But my own vineyard I have not kept.” When I keep His (the others’) vineyard, He will keep mine, and then we can rest assured that it is well kept!

Romans 6:22 also fits exceptionally well: serving results in sanctification. I grow by serving and living for the others.

John 13:34 expresses the exceedingly great and abundant glory of the new covenant clearly and simply: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” That is the standard! He suffered everything for us; He gave everything; He gave His life; He lived and offered Himself one hundred percent for us. He thought only of our salvation, our profit, our best.

This went far beyond just loving your neighbor as yourself!

Let us use a simple illustration from everyday life: Buying some clothing for myself and then buying the same clothing for my neighbor is, in a manner of speaking, loving my neighbor as myself. Buying clothing for my neighbor and not buying anything for myself, that is loving as Christ loved. This is really something to reach out for.

Not seeking to satisfy your sinful lust is one thing, but not even seeking your own profit is something completely different. It is supernatural; it is divine!

Then there will be one thought and one cry in my heart: The others! The others! What do the others need!? Then any thought of what I like and what I need and what could benefit me will fall away. I will be occupied with only serving and giving, with refreshing the others; then the faithful Chief Shepherd Himself will take very good care of me.

Glory be to His great and holy name!