Love Them More, Need Them Less: Embracing Selfless Love and Trusting in God

Love Them More, Need Them Less

Christians are called to love God and love others. Love is not just a feeling, but it is an action. It requires service, sacrifice, and selflessness. However, serving others can be challenging, especially when it feels like our needs are not being met. We may feel drained, tired, and unappreciated. In these moments, we need to remember that our ultimate goal is not to have our needs met, but to love others as Christ loved us.

Jesus is the ultimate example of selfless love. He left the glory of heaven to come to earth and serve us. He did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). If we want to follow in Jesus' footsteps, we must learn to love others more and need them less.

What Does it Mean to Love Them More?

Loving others more means putting their needs before our own. It means being willing to serve them, even if it is inconvenient or uncomfortable. It means being patient and kind, even when they are not. It means forgiving them when they hurt us and showing them grace, just as God has shown us grace.

One of the most significant ways we can love others more is by being present with them. In our busy world, it is easy to get caught up in our own lives and forget to connect with those around us. However, God created us to be in community with one another. We are not meant to go through life alone. We need each other.

When we take the time to be present with others, we show them that they are valuable. We listen to them, care about their struggles, and celebrate their victories. We may not be able to solve all their problems, but we can offer a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on. When we love others more, we become a source of comfort and encouragement in their lives.

What Does it Mean to Need Them Less?

Needing others less means not expecting them to meet our every need. It means trusting in God to provide for us, even when it feels like no one else is. It means being content with what we have and not always seeking more. It means recognizing that our ultimate satisfaction and fulfillment come from God alone.

When we need others less, we free them from the burden of meeting our every need. We allow them to be imperfect and to make mistakes without holding it against them. We recognize that they are human, just like us, and that they have their own struggles and difficulties. When we need others less, we become a source of freedom and grace in their lives.

How Do We Love Them More and Need Them Less?

It is easy to say that we should love others more and need them less, but how do we actually do it? Here are a few practical ways:

1. Pray for Them

Prayer is a powerful tool for loving others more. When we pray for someone, we are asking God to work in their lives. We are acknowledging that we cannot fix all their problems, but that God can. We are also asking God to give us the wisdom and compassion to love them well.

When we pray for others, we are also reminding ourselves of their value in God's eyes. We are recognizing that they are not just a means to an end, but that they are beloved children of God. Prayer helps us to see others as God sees them, and to love them accordingly.

2. Be Present with Them

As mentioned earlier, being present with others is a significant way to love them more. This means putting down our phones, turning off the TV, and giving them our full attention. It means making time for them, even when it is inconvenient.

Being present with others also means being vulnerable with them. It means sharing our own struggles and difficulties, and allowing them to do the same. When we are vulnerable with others, we create a safe space for them to be vulnerable with us. This is where true connection and intimacy happen.

3. Serve Them

Serving others is another way to love them more. This can be as simple as cooking a meal for a friend who is going through a tough time, or as complex as starting a nonprofit to help those in need.

Serving others may require sacrifice on our part, but it is worth it. When we serve others, we are following in Jesus' footsteps and showing them his love. We are also reminding ourselves that our ultimate goal is not to have our needs met, but to love others as Christ loved us.

4. Trust in God

Finally, we need to trust in God to provide for us. This means recognizing that he is the ultimate source of our satisfaction and fulfillment. It means not putting our hope in people or things, but in God alone.

Trusting in God also means recognizing that he is in control, even when things feel chaotic or out of our control. It means surrendering our plans and desires to him and trusting that he knows what is best for us.

The Biblical Basis for Loving Them More and Needing Them Less

The call to love others and need them less is not a new concept. It is rooted in the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. Here are a few verses that support this idea:

1. Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

"Love your neighbor as yourself" is one of the most well-known commands in the Bible (Mark 12:31). This commandment requires us to love others as we love ourselves. It means putting their needs on par with our own and treating them with the same kindness and respect that we desire for ourselves.

2. Serve One Another

The apostle Paul wrote, "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another" (Galatians 5:13). This verse reminds us that our freedom in Christ is not meant to be used for our own selfish desires, but to serve others in love.

3. Put Others First

The apostle Paul also wrote, "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Philippians 2:3-4). This verse reminds us that we are called to humble ourselves and put others' needs before our own.

4. Trust in God's Provision

Finally, Jesus reminds us to trust in God's provision when he says, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" (Matthew 6:25-26).

This verse reminds us that God is our provider and that we can trust him to take care of us. When we trust in God's provision, we are free to love others more and need them less.

Conclusion

Loving others more and needing them less is not easy, but it is essential if we want to follow in Jesus' footsteps. When we love others more, we become a source of comfort and encouragement in their lives. When we need them less, we free them from the burden of meeting our every need and allow them to be imperfect and human.

As Christians, we are called to love God and love others. We are called to put their needs before our own and to trust in God's provision. When we do this, we become a reflection of Jesus' love to the world.

So let us love others more and need them less. Let us be present with them, serve them, pray for them, and trust in God's provision. In doing so, we will become the hands and feet of Jesus, bringing his love and grace to those around us.