1 Corinthians 13:5b seeketh not her own

There are a few different ways to look at this verse. The more obvious is self-interest, selfishness. I agree that this is a large part of this verse but I can see a little more. Seeking is related to God’s will.

Psalm 105:3 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.

Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Beyond that I can see it is wrong to only have fellowship with people who agree with you. Yes, we are to be like minded but that being the mind of Christ, not mine.

How can we minister to the lost if we do not value their opinions as being valid in context to their circumstances? How do you reason truth to a person if you shut them off and remain closed to their feelings?

People who seek their own are a closed door. They are not friendly, warm, nor understanding. We should be able to understand a person’s circumstance even if we do not agree with it.

Can you love someone who disagrees with you vehemently? They will never feel the love of God that is being offered if you shut the door and throw away the key.

I’ve admired how Jesus could sit with sinners and publicans and not allow who they were and where He was to change Him in any way. I’d like to get better at it, so that means keeping myself open and available.