Today’s chapter is called “Love’s Motivation.”
The verse underneath the chapter title is from Ephesians 6. It says, “Render service with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to men.”
I want to do some prison ministry. I want to visit some people in prison. My thought is to sit down and be there for someone – a stranger who wants someone to talk to. I might talk current events, I might talk sports. I might just listen. I want to be there for that person and provide a little companionship in what must be a dark and lonely life. I don’t need anything from this visit. I have a secret motivation and I even have to keep that in check. For me, whenever I get the privilege and opportunity to visit a prison, I’ll be visiting Jesus. I have to keep it in check, because anytime one does something for the Lord, there is a trap waiting around the corner called pride. “Look what I did!” or “Oh, isn’t that special!?” Ha ha. It’s stupid, but our dumb brains can quickly twist things. The cool thing about doing something for someone else as unto the Lord, though, is usually there is a joy that defeats pride. There is a sense of “this is right” and sometimes the humbling notion of, “Man, I should do this more often,” or “I haven’t done this enough.”
I’m getting off the point slightly, but the main thing is that when we love someone else with God in mind, it can become pure. It can become a selfless act where our minds shift gears and our own little selfish motives can fade into the background and disappear. There’s a nice quote in this chapter that says: “When God is your reason for loving, your ability to love is guaranteed. That’s because love comes from Him.”
It’s pretty neat to think about how God invented love. God invented marriage. I think it kind of helps us be encouraged to remember that.
The love that’s demanded from you in marriage is not dependent on your mate’s sweetness or suitability. The love betweeen a husband and wife should have one chief objective: honoring the Lord with devotion and sincerity. The fact that it blesses our beloved in the process is simply a wonderful, additional benefit.
This change of focus and perspective is crucial for a Christian. Being able to wake up knowing that God is your source and supply – not just of your own needs but also those of your spouse – changes your whole reason for interacting with your mate.
No longer is it this imperfect person who decides how much love you’ll show, but rather it’s your omni-perfect God who can use even a flawed person like yourself to bestow loving favor on another.
Love motivated by mere duty cannot hold out for very long. And love that is only motivated by favorable conditions can never be assured of sufficient oxygen to keep it breathing. Only love that is lifted up as an offering to God – returned to Him in gratitude for all He’s done – is able to sustain itself when all other reasons have lost their ability to energize us.
Love that has God as its primary focus is unlimited in the heights it can attain.
Today’s Love Dare:
Before you see your spouse again today, pray for them by name and for their needs. Whether it comes easy for you or not, say “I love you,” then express love to them in some tangible way. Go to God in prayer again, thanking Him for giving you the privilege of loving this one special person – unconditionally, the way He loves both of you.
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