Seeking the Highest Good

          Yesterday I wrote about seeking the highest good of others at our expense.  I wrote in reference to giving to the poor.  Today I'd like to broaden the application of that principle to other areas of life.
          Chritianity is a lifestyle that embodies self-sacrifice.  (Romans 12:1,2)  We are admonished to die to ourselves and take up our cross daily.  (Luke 14:25-27)  We are committed to becoming like Jesus in our speech and our actions. (Philippians 2:5-8)   That's an amazing journey of growth and impact.  Everyday interactions will present us with decisions to make about how to treat people whether they are friends or enemies; whether they are nice, neutral or nasty. 

Philippians 2:3, 4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.

          Jesus practiced this perfectly; none of us will, but it is the aim of the Christian life.  The relationship decisions we will struggle with daily were the same that confronted Jesus while he was here on earth.  He understood and embodied perfection.

Philippians 3:12
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

          Jesus took hold of us so that we could love the way he loved.  If we break down I Corinthians 13 into the separate components of love and apply the previous axiom ("seeking the highest good of others at your own expense"), it reveals a deeper application of this scripture.  Following are some examples.
          Love is patient.  Let's imagine a parent trying to apply this principle to a disobedient child.  Should they define patience as tolerance and overlook the child's rebellion?  That is surely not seeking the child's highest good!  No, the parent should patiently reinforce whatever direction they had given with appropriate consequences for misbehavior.  The child's highest good is learning to obey  and allowing his character to be shaped by wiser adults.  It may not be what the child wants but it is surely what he needs.  He also needs the security that comes from being able to depend on his parents' meaning what they say--letting their "yes" be yes, and their "no" be no.  The expense to the parent may be the displeasure of the child and the hard task of consistency, but it is a cost worth paying for the good of the child's future.
          Love is kind.  This seems so simple, but sometimes it is costly.  There are the times when you're tired and just grouchy--normal human tendencies.  But the effort of a Christian will be to set aside the selfishness of giving in to a bad mood and dig deep to continue being pleasant to be around.  Kindness is hard (expensive) when we are ineracting with someone who is unkind to us.  But Jesus said to love our enemies and do good to them.  (Luke 7:27-28)  Kindness is also hard when you disagree with someone.  The expense you risk is becoming the enemy of someone who opposes your viewpoint.  The risk is worth it if you are "speaking the truth in love" and seeking their highest good.  (Ephesians 4:25)
          Love does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  Oh my!  How do I know when I'm giving someone the opportunity to rejoice with me over some blessing or accomplishment as opposed to bragging?  I must assess my own heart (am I competitive and trying to outdo someone?) and my hearer's highest needs (are they able to share my joy or will they be discouraged?).  The expense to the speaker is the forfeiting of the pleasure of stroking our own egos.

Ephesians 4:29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up. according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

          These few examples are only representative of the application of this definition of love.  This is not a simple equation to guarantee a perfect outcome with every encounter, but it's a great guideline to have at the back of your mind everyday.  I've found that it has made me keener in my evalution of my own behavior and always gives me a high mark for growth to become more like my Savior.