What motivates you?

“Love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no wrong to anyone, so love satisfies all of God’s requirements.” Romans 13:9-10

What motivates you? Does Christ motivate you? Does His love motivate you?

When we are not motivated by love we can easily become negative in our attitudes, in the way we look at others and in our speech. We become self-absorbed, irritable, in patient, and a lot less merciful.

Paul says in Galatians 5:6 “What is important is faith expressing itself in love.” We can evaluate our faith by how much we love Christ and others.

Paul also says in Galatians 5:13-15 “For you have been called to live in freedom-not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command. Love your neighbor as yourself. But if instead of showing love among yourselves you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.”

Love finds the positive in all things, love is considerate, love does not speak negatively of others, and it does not point out the flaws and faults of others. Christ does sit on His throne and point out all the negative in us, instead He looks and finds the goodness, the beauty, the positive in each of us. God and Jesus do not sit up in Heaven and talk badly about us, they do not hold grudges, they do not laugh and joke at our imperfections. Why do we? As children of the Most High God we must see all people including ourselves the same way our Heavenly Father sees us. We must think positively with loving thoughts towards all of God’s people just as our Father in Heaven thinks about us.

Next time you are quick to act out in anger, or speak ugly of others, stop and think how it makes you feel when you hear others speaking that way about you. Then stop and pray asking the Father to open your heart and eyes to see others as He does.

So again what motivates you? Fitting in, money, your job, blending in because you don’t want to stand out for Christ, or maybe it is the pleasures of the world which is all of Satan.

You can find out real quick what your motivation is by your lifestyle, speech, and the decisions you make.

Prayer: Lord forgive me for taking this amazing gift of freedom in You for granted. Forgive me for the times I have been motivated by “self.” I ask that You reveal to me any and all areas that are not pleasing to You. Lord I ask for the Holy Spirit to have and take complete control of my heart. Lord I am letting go, stepping aside, giving You full control of my heart, thoughts, and speech. May my motivation be to daily serve You, love You with ALL that I am and love others just as You have loved me. Amen