Unconditional love (or lack of it thereof) was the one thing that kept the rich, young ruler from following Jesus. At first sight, you might think the story is just about money, but it goes beyond that. The young, rich ruler had sought to be righteous from an early age. However, when it came to choosing between following Jesus or keeping his riches, with a distraught heart, he chose the latter.
The fruits of the spirit, mentioned in Galatians 5:22 are a list of qualities of someone who lives in tune with the Holy Spirit. The first fruit of the Spirit that the Bible verse mentions is love. If there is something that differentiates true love from fake, it’s selflessness.
But how do we cultivate the unconditional, selfless love – also known as Agape– that Jesus displayed for us on the cross in a selfish world that glorifies the self so much?
Practicing selflessness
Research shows that people who engage in selfless acts like sharing and volunteering tend to display higher joy and satisfaction in their personal lives. Joy is the second fruit of the spirit; we will discuss it in the next devotional! 😊
When Jesus washed the disciples’ feet during the Last Supper, He showed His unconditional love by selflessly serving all His disciples with no exception, even when He knew that Judas would betray Him and Peter would deny Him.
Jesus, the personification of unconditional love, lived on this earth with an intentional selflessness that culminated in the ultimate act of unconditional love: dying on the cross for you and me.
Where to start?
A practice in Jesus’s time called Corban was a special offering that the Pharisees and Scribes set aside for the temple. However, Jesus pointed out their selfishness, as they would use this as an excuse not to look out for their elderly parents and have something to boast about in the temple.
Our families are the people God has given us to help us develop selflessness and the first fruit of the spirit: love. Do you want to develop this fruit of the Spirit in your life? Then I encourage you to intentionally practice selflessness in your everyday life with the family God has blessed you with, as Jesus did with His disciples.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
– John 13:34-5
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