God is not self-seeking

Let’s begin with this: Can you imagine God being patient and kind? Our conception of God is shaped by many circumstances and impressions. People have very different images of God.

The Bible states that God is love, a love that Paul describes this way.

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 (NIV)

There are many aspects of love in this description. At its beginning we find patient and kind. Since God is love, a natural conclusion is that God is patient and kind. In the middle it says that love, and hence God, is not self-seeking which we will examine somewhat closer.

God is not self-seeking, can you imagine?

We are quite used to a more transactional way of life. If we give out something we often expect something back. When we get involved in something we might think, “what’s in it for me?”

However, God does not think that way because he is not self-seeking. Jesus translated that into human terms:

And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Matthew 5:41-45

When Jesus was invited to a party:

He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
Luke 14:12-14

Jesus not only talked about this, he lived it. Here is an occasion when he cured a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years.

Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.
Matthew 9:22

Note how Jesus downplays his own role, as if he just happened to be around. He says, “your faith has made you well”, even though he had perceived in himself that power had gone out from him (Mark 5:30).

This is just one of several similar situations.

Creation

The biblical view of creation is that God wanted to provide the best imaginable environment for mankind to live in. God created the earth with all its plants and animals as a gift to mankind, no strings attached.

Note in passing: It seems God holds mankind in higher esteem than many people do today.

Unfortunately, the first humans abused their position, and so has humanity after them. Nature still mirrors the greatness of God, but only too much of it has been corrupted by human evil.

The idea that God is not self-seeking is so hard to take in that even committed Christians fail to see it. Here is a line from a contemporary Christian song:

You created all, and all was created so that you might have all the glory.

This is simply not true. God is not self-seeking. Even though Creation is totally overwhelming God did not nurture the idea to give it to humanity in order to get something back.

Let this sink in. God gives freely and is not self-seeking.

Jesus Christ

According to the Bible, Jesus is the Son of God. This is what Jesus said about himself.

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Mark 10:45

As a ransom means that Jesus gave his life to buy us out from the self-inflicted trap we couldn’t get out of by ourselves. God the Father sacrificed his own Son.

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
Romans 8:32

The death of Jesus on the cross was the ultimate sacrifice that surpasses all others. Let no one imagine it was easy. This sacrifice by God — actually when we were still distancing ourselves from him — should help us understand how highly God regards us human beings.

Finally

We have seen that God the Father just keeps giving out, with no hidden agenda. To begin with: creation; and then his own Son.

God is not self-seeking.

How can we respond? By receiving. You may receive Jesus Christ as God’s gift to you personally.

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God
John 1:12

God being patient and kind does not mean that God is permissive about evil. Evil is totally incompatible with his being. Years come and go, but rest assured, God will deal with evil. If it seems he delays, it is because he is patient and kind.

I also suspect it depends on one more thing, namely that God intends evil to be defeated by the weakest.

Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.
Psalms 8:3

God has no need to assert himself, cannot be threatened, and does not show off to impress. He lifts up the weakest and allows them become conquerors and heroes.

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
1 Corinthians 1:27-29

Evil will be defeated through those it despises most, that is what I expect.