What Kind of Love Brings True Happiness?

Self-centered kind of love is the opposite of love for God. Pursuing selfish goals does not make a person happy, although he may think that it will. Instead, it creates a selfish world and makes life difficult for everyone
The apostle Paul knew that selfish love would become very common and would be dangerous for Christians. So he warned them to “turn away” from, or to avoid, those who show selfish love. (2 Timothy 3:5) But we cannot avoid all contact with such people. So, what can we do to protect ourselves from the attitudes of people around us and please Jehovah, the God of love? Let us see the difference between the love that God wants us to have and the love described at 2 Timothy 3:2-4. Then we can look at ourselves and see how we can show the kind of love that will make us truly satisfied.
In fact, we cannot love other people if we do not love ourselves. The Bible also tells us: “Husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. A man who loves his wife loves himself, for no man ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cherishes it.” (Ephesians 5:28, 29) So it is clear that we should have some love for ourselves.

The love of self that we read about at 2 Timothy 3:2 is not a normal or healthy love. It is selfish. If someone loves himself too much, he thinks more of himself than he needs to. He cares more about himself than about anyone else. When things go wrong, he blames others instead of himself. One Bible commentary compares such a person to a hedgehog that rolls itself up in a ball, staying warm with its soft fur but showing others only its sharp spines.
Some Bible scholars believe that Paul mentioned love of self first because it produces the bad qualities he mentioned next. In contrast, the kind of love God wants us to have produces good qualities. It is related to joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, and self-control

How can we know if our love of self is becoming stronger than our love for God? Think about this wise advice: “Do nothing out of contentiousness or out of egotism, but with humility consider others superior to you, as you look out not only for your own interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3, 4) We may ask ourselves: ‘Do I listen to this advice? Am I trying to do what God wants me to do? Do I look for ways to help others in the congregation and in the field ministry?’ It is not always easy to give our time and energy
It may mean that we have to work hard and sacrifice some things that we enjoy. But nothing could make us happier than knowing that the Sovereign of the universe is pleased with us!
RICHES IN HEAVEN OR ON EARTH?

Paul wrote that people would be “lovers of money.” Some years ago, a pioneer in Ireland spoke to a man about God. The man opened his wallet, held up some paper money, and said: “This is my god!” Although they might not admit it, many people feel this way. They love money and the things it can buy. But the Bible warns: “A lover of silver will never be satisfied with silver, nor a lover of wealth with income.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10) A person who loves money never feels he has enough. He always wants more and spends his life trying to get it. This brings him “many pains.”
Of course, we all need money. It gives us some protection. (Ecclesiastes 7:12) But can we be happy if we have just enough for our basic needs? Yes! (Read Ecclesiastes 5:12.) Agur son of Jakeh wrote: “Give me neither poverty nor riches. Just let me consume my portion of food.” It is easy to understand why this man did not want to be very poor. He said that he did not want to be tempted to steal, because stealing would bring dishonor to God
But why did he not want to be rich? He wrote: “So that I do not become satisfied and deny you and say, ‘Who is Jehovah?’” (Proverbs 30:8, 9) You probably know people who trust in riches instead of in God.
Original source: www.jw.org