Motivating Love

Motivating love picture

Usually it doesn’t take much for me to get motivated: the smell of coffee motivates me to buy a venti-upside-down-decaf caramel macchiato, a rainy day motivates me to clean my house (yah, this is weird), and least I forget, an extra 40%-off-the-whole store sale at Chico’s motivates me to go shopping! (Okay, too much motivation). But my point is that sometimes our motivation to shop, eat, and work is rather simple. 

Motivation is the act or process of giving someone a reason for doing something. It is the condition of being eager to act or work and a force or influence that causes someone to do something (Courtesy of Merriam Webster Dictionary).  Motivation is important.  It’s really a driving force in everything we do.  The smell of coffee motivates me to want more coffee, a gloomy rainy day, motivates me to clean, and a great sale motivates me to shop.  Motivation is the controlling factor in ever thing we do.

However, a Christian’s motivation should be higher than the motivation we see in the world.  The love we have in Jesus Christ should motivate us to honor God and give Him control of everything we do.  Jesus’ love is unconditional and selfless.  His love is bathed in the never-ending pool of God’s grace and mercy. God’s grace gives us in abundance what we don’t deserve and His mercy graciously withholds the treatment we do deserve.  Jesus’ love for all believers is rooted in abundant grace and compassionate mercy. 

This is a great motivating force that propel us to do what’s right!   

Whether we are serving in the church or serving in our homes,

Whether we are helping a neighbor or helping an enemy,

Whether we are eating, sleeping, playing, or ministering. 

Whatever we do it should be because Christ’s love controls us. 

The results will be powerful as we walk in God’s holy calling to esteem others higher than ourselves.  The precious love we have in Jesus should motivate us to live our lives determined to do all things that honors His name.

 

Whatever we do, it is certainly not for our own profit but because Christ’s love controls us now. 2 Corinthians 5:14 (TLB)  

  • What motivates your thoughts, actions, or attitudes? 
  • Is it the unconditional love of Jesus? 
  • What will you do today to allow His love to control you? 
  • Will you give Jesus your life?

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16 (NIV)

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved.  Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV)

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  Galatians 2:20 (NIV)

But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15 (NIV)