A Lesson Learned: What's my motivation?

I absolutely love when I'm completely immersed in a Bible study or volume that challenges me spiritually, how everything around me seems to echo what I'thousand learning. I've noticed a recurring theme of challenging my motivation for having a human relationship with God. My Beth Moore Bible study on John is doing this and reading Your God is also Prophylactic by Mark Buchanan is doing this likewise. Most recently, however, a guest-preacher at our church delivered an amazing sermon on this very topic. He started by asking this question:

What is your motive or motivation for having a relationship with God?

So he shared a serial of stair-steps similar to this pic that I created (based on memory from his sermon):

Starting from the lesser stair and going upwards, here are a listing of motives we might have for pursuing a relationship with God:

• Fear:We might exist scared of going to Hell. Perchance that'due south why we want a relationship with God (or at to the lowest degree we try to false it)…to salvage us from the impending doom that is our afterlife apart from God. Then we'll practice what nosotros have to do, bank check off the boxes, and go well-nigh life the same way we always do…except peradventure attending church on Sunday mornings every now and then.
• Guilt:  Were you raised in a Christian household? Exercise you come up from a long line of "believers"? Perhaps you lot feel this guilt that forces yous to go along going through the motions of existence a "Christian". Or possibly y'all serve out of guilt. I know I am certainly 'guilty' of this sometimes.
• The Benefits:Even though we're bodacious that "in this life, we will have trouble" (John 16:33), living a Christian life can oft benefit us likewise. Marriages are ofttimes healthier when both spouses accept a relationship with God and raising children is definitely more fulfilling when instilling Christian values in your children. Oh, and don't forget nigh Sky! Isn't this the ULTIMATE benefit???? This is oft what nosotros focus on when we endeavour to "convert" people…we want them to take the benefit of Heaven.

The matter almost the first 3 motivations is that they are all cocky-centered. How canIkeep from living in fear? How canIterminate feeling guilty? What's in it for me?

A human relationship with God that is centered on ourselves is offensive to God.

And now, for the terminal two "steps":

• It's the right thing:  God commands u.s.a. to follow Him and we should obey. It'south the right thing to do. Although this motive doesn't focus on ourselves, if we don't strive to proceed on stepping up, we'll be no different than the Pharisees. Although God deserves our utmost respect and obedience, a relationship with Him that is solely out of obligation and reverence is non what He wants for us.
• Love:  This is the ultimate motivation and ane we should all strive for! After all, God is dear (one John four:16). Once nosotros start loving God with everything inside united states, this will overflow into all of our other relationships as well.

"Honey friends, permit us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not honey does non know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his honey amid u.s.a.: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that nosotros loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved friends, since God so loved united states, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we dear i another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." -1 John 4: vii-12

Think about yourself when you've been in beloved…what words would you lot utilize to describe yourself? Giddy? Beaming? Caput-over-heels? When you're in beloved with someone, you can't stop thinking about them.

I've seen people like this…who can't stop thinking about Him. Who want to tell the whole world near Him because of their alluvion love for Him.

That's how I want to be with God.

I'm not settling for a lesser motivation.

I'll never forget when I was first introduced to the concept of asking God to help me dearest Him more. It seemed strangely profound to me. I thought some people were just "in love" with God and some weren't. Just this is part of my daily prayer…

I want to fall in beloved with you.

Tin can't see the video? Become hither.

I first heard this song from Jars of Dirt when I was in heart school. In my 13-year erstwhile immaturity, I thought this song was talking about romantic dear (I apparently didn't mind closely to the words). Since I realized the true pregnant of this song, I have been so encouraged by listening to the lyrics. This song perfectly articulates my daily prayer!

Reader Interactions

harrissaidee1940.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.icanteachmychild.com/a-lesson-learned-whats-my-motivation/

Share this post