What Motivates a Christian?
Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.
John 5:19-20
Everyday Jesus did the will of the Father because of his love for the Father and His desire to please Him. Just as the Father loves all people, Jesus has the same love for people. He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27) Our love for the Lord motivates us, just as love for the Father motivated Jesus. Jesus lived to serve the Father and we live to serve the Lord.
The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me”. (Matthew 25:40) We show our love for Christ by showing our love for people. When our hearts are filled with God’s love, we love all people just as God loves all people. As God’s love increases in our hearts, our hatred of sin increases because Satan’s lies influence many people.
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:35) The apostles were motivated by their love for Christ and their love was so powerful they served until they were martyred. The same love is in our hearts, and today, many Christians are dying for Christ. There is nothing more powerful than God’s love in our hearts that motivates us. Anguish in our hearts for lost souls and a heart filled with God’s love motivates us to bring Christ to the world.
If you love me, keep my commands. (John 14:15) Our love for the Lord motivates us to keep his commands and we follow the Spirit in bringing Christ to the world around us. As we personally bring Christ to people, the love in our hearts increases for the Lord and for people. Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:7-8) God’s love in our hearts makes us more like Jesus, and opens our minds and hearts to personally know our Lord. Nothing brings us closer to the Father and the Son than a heart of God’s love that motivates us to bring the good news of salvation in Christ to lost world.
Today, let the Lord’s love motivate you to bring Christ to others. Pray for the Lord’s guidance to lost souls and when ministering to others.
Prayer: Lord, guide me to minister to others and fill my heart with your divine love. Let your love motivate me to minister to others and to increase my dependence on Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen