What motivates you?
Valentines day is celebrated this month in many places. It is a day set aside to express our love to those who are special in our lives. But, how should you tell someone happy Valentines day? Many of you are looking for Valentine Day gift ideas and looking for the right Valentine Day card. (click here for gift ideas) What’s the right way to tell someone you love them? What is love? What’s love have to do with it?
Valentines Day – what is love?
There are many different ways to love. We love ice cream, pizza, our favorite team, etc. There’s a brotherly and family kind of love. There’s a friendship love. There’s the romantic erotic kind of love. Then there’s the love that is deeper. It is the most supreme love of all. It is a love that’s a choice. It’s not just a feeling. It is the love of God. It’s not a love that comes natural. It’s a love that is put in our hearts by God when we put our trust in Jesus. (Romans 5:5) This kind of love is unconditional and sacrificial.
No matter the kind of love you may have for someone go ahead this Valentines day and give those flowers, candy, red hearts, and cards. Find that special Valentine gift. Make sure to take time to call, write, text, or email those who are special in your life.
As you think about Valentines day and look for that special Valentine gift or that unique Valentine idea I want to challenge you in another way when it comes to love – “Be motivated in your life by love”. In other words no matter what level of love you may have in your current relationship make a decision to live your life so that every decision you make, every action you take, are motivated by love, the love of God.
What Motivates You?
So, What motivates you? Motivation is defined as: “the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way”. What motivates you to do what you do, take the actions you take, behave the way you behave? Psychologist talk about several different types of motivation most however, are some form of fear or reward. Reward can be money, promotion, recognition, etc. Fear can be things like failure, some kind of penalty, fines, being fired, not passing or measuring up, and even death.
There is one more major motivator, it is love. In 2 Corinthians 5:14 the apostle Paul said, “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died”. Notice Paul said the thing that motivates him or compels him or moves him or controls him is love. As Christians our lives should be motivated by love – the God kind of love. In fact 1Corinthians 13:1-3 tells us anything we do no matter how good or noble counts for absolutely nothing if what we did was not motivated by the love of God. It says, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.” In other words if I do some kind or benevolent act be it giving a large donation or a helping hand and I do it because I want people to see it and be recognized; in God’s eye it’s a dud. God is more interested in why we do something that what we actually do.
4 Questions to Ask
Take time this month to consider the “why” behind the “what” in your life. Paul found the greatest motivation . . .the love of God. He said, I live because of Christ! Why not decide today to live for Christ… let the love of God be the motivator in your life!
How do you know if what you’re doing is being motivated by love? One way is to ask yourself this question “Am I serving, giving, doing, etc. without expecting anything in return or am I doing because I’m wanting to receive something?.
How do you let love motivate you? It simply is a choice. The love of God is not a feeling it is a decision to love. You can do it. Christ lives in you, so that means the love of Christ is already in you. You must choose to let that love come out.
What Motivates You? There’s nothing wrong with wanting to accomplish certain goals in life and to work toward a life of excellence. However, as a follower of Christ ultimately like Paul you need to be make sure your motives are right – the love of Christ! Determine to live with a spirit of humility and in a way that brings glory to God. When you do, you’ll have a passion for the lost and desire to help people grow in their faith. While on this earth God wants you to grow in your love for Him and to love others. What motivates you?
Have a great Valentine’s day – but have even a greater life, a life motivated by the love of God. That’s what love has to do with it!