1 Corinthians 14:1 (NKJV) — “Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.”
Love! Pursue love. We are to continue in love and never give up. Allow God’s love to possess you.
Love for God is witnessed in our love for others. Love does not focus on self but on God and therefore is seen not in self-centeredness but in God-centered actions. Philippians 2:3, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”
Pursuing God’s love leads us to love our enemies. We know we are pursuing God’s love when we love those who do not love us. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, Matthew 5:43–44.
Pursuing God’s love leads us to forgive. It is easy to love those who love us. It is not easy to love those who have harmed us. Jesus said love forgives and we are to forgive even those who hate us. Matthew 6:14–15, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Jesus said in John 13:34, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
Followers of Christ pursue love. Not as the world loves but loving as Christ has loved. The focus of love is not on self but on God and because of the love of God we love others.
John 3:16 (NKJV) — 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.