April 5 ~ 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
That keeps us vigilant, you can be sure. It's no light thing to know that we'll all one day stand in that place of Judgment. That's why we work urgently with everyone we meet to get them ready to face God. God alone knows how well we do this, but I hope you realize how much and deeply we care. We're not saying this to make ourselves look good to you. We just thought it would make you feel good, proud even, that we're on your side and not just nice to your face as so many people are. If I acted crazy, I did it for God; if I acted overly serious, I did it for you. Christ's love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
In the 1970s, a comedian named Flip Wilson hosted a variety show on television, which featured several short skits during a one-hour format. One of Wilson’s characters was “Geraldine Jones” (actually Wilson dressed as a woman). Geraldine had a boyfriend named “Killer,” and one of her signature quips was, “The devil made me do it!”… as in “The devil made me buy this dress!” Wilson also made famous the line, “What you see is what you get!” While we like to joke that “the devil made me do it,” the truth is that we are listening to Satan more often than we care to admit!
If we are honest, we have to concede that the suggestions the devil whispers in our ear are frequently the source of our motivation for all sorts of words and actions. On Judgment Day, the excuse that “the devil made me do it,” is not going to pass muster with God! And “what you see is what you get” won’t work with God, either… if what He sees is someone who was motivated by Satan most of the time!
I do not want you to change your motivation to love God and serve Him out of a sense of fear. I operated far too long in fear of God’s retribution, and my relationship with Him suffered as a result. Fear may be a great motivator on some levels, but in the end, you are left with a sense of great burden… and maybe even guilt and shame. However, when we are motivated to love God and serve Him out of a sense of gratitude for all He has done for us, the entire relationship changes.
Operating from a position of love and humility… a desire to do as much as possible for the One who has done incredible, unfathomable things for us… breeds an atmosphere of joy and pride – not in ourselves, but in the great blessings and gifts God bestows. When we are motivated to do something out of deep love or gratitude… or even a desire to bless someone else in some manner… the end result is moving – and often joyful – for everyone concerned. When we operate out of a feeling of obligation or fear, we may achieve a desired result… but will we resent the steps taken to get there?
God wants us to be continually motivated to love and serve out of a deep abiding sense of love and gratitude. He wants us to stop playing games and listening to the devil… and living for Him only out of a fear to live otherwise. When we say “What you see is what you get,” God wants others to see genuine love and our desire to be all that we can be as faith-filled Christians.
Today, as we think of what Jesus sacrificed for us on the cross… as we imagine Him kneeling in the Garden of Gethsemane and humbling Himself before God… let’s ask ourselves, “What motivated Jesus so long ago to die for us? What motivates us today to serve Him in return?”
©2012 Debbie Robus
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