Michael T. Hare

Yesterday, I was driving with my mom, and—for reasons my ADHD brain can’t remember—I brought up selfishness. If you look closely at every sin (murder, lust, and so on), you’ll see that it’s all rooted in selfishness. Interesting, right? We resort to selfish acts when we lose sight of those around us.

For example, I’m going to use lust (specifically sexual lust) because I want to speak out against it. Lust is the belief that you have the right to objectify those around you, treating their bodies like something you can evaluate and measure. Through the lens of lust, everyone in your vicinity loses their humanity and becomes pawns in your mental world. Simply put, lust doesn’t involve anyone except you. Though your eyes are on them, your heart is turned inward to your selfish ambitions. You’re not thinking about those humans—not who they are or what they would want. No love exists in the act of lust, which brings me to my follow-up point. Love is the key to fighting sin.

In 1 Corinthians 13:13, Paul says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Why? Why is the greatest love? He was giving us the knowledge we need to overcome sin. Lust is the absence of love. Murder is the absence of love. Adultery is also the absence of love—it’s a betrayal. Love would be talking with your partner and assessing what’s missing in your relationship instead of committing adultery; perhaps you choose to separate, or maybe you choose to pursue your relationship further. Either way, you put them before yourself, substituting betrayal for transparency, honesty, and a genuine concern for their feelings. That is love. Love is selfless, and therefore, it’s also the bane of sin. Jesus loved people every day, and we should strive to emulate him. A good way to do this is by going into the Bible and studying Jesus’s actions. Figure out how he loved people.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Now, I’m not gonna pretend like I’m awesome at this. I’m eighteen and still green, but I can say one thing for sure: I won’t stop trying. Every day is a new chance to be more like Jesus and grow as his son. Maybe right now, you’ve failed at something, you gave in when you shouldn’t have. Well, traveler, we’re a party of two because I’ve done the same. But defeat is not when you fall—it is when you yield. You and I aren’t going to yield. God has plans for us, but before we come into them, our faith must be tested.

Soldier on, traveler. A bright future is coming.

Never forget love.

P.S. Fun fact about Michael T. Hare—I was born on Valentine’s Day. So, in addition to chocolate and presents, I get even more chocolate. Not that I’m complaining, though.