There are plenty of opinions about Jesus, and that’s nothing new. Even while he was traveling and teaching around the region of Galilee, some people clamored to see him and others despised him. They all heard the same teaching and saw the same miracles, but they reacted very differently.
When you think about the things Jesus said and did, what is your reaction?
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Why do people fall in love? What’s their motivation? I mean, why does anybody go through all the trouble of pursuing and building a love relationship. I’m not talking about lust and sex. I’m talking about people who fall head over heels and are willing to put on their best and spend their money and make extra time for dating and gifts and trips –and all the emotional stress and upheaval that comes with the risk of putting your heart on the line hoping for somebody else to respond with the same feelings. Why do people do that?
The answer is pretty obvious–even if it doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense when you think about how much time and attention a good relationship takes. People give their love because it’s rewarding to share real love with another person. When husbands and wives love each other or parents love their children et cetera, it often requires a lot of sacrifice, but anybody with a good relationship will tell you that it’s more than worth it.
Living for God is the same thing. Serving God often requires sacrifice and takes work and dedication and commitment. But anybody who has a good relationship with Jesus Christ will tell you that it’s more than worth it. The joy and contentment and deep love that fills your life as a result of belonging to God makes living life God’s way a desire rather than just a regulation.
Do you know what I mean? If so, congrats! If not, would you like to?
(This podcast is a retelling of the same idea from the December 27th podcast.)
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What drives you? What’s your main motivation in life? Do you enjoy being alive? Or are you bored or depressed or unfulfilled? What trips your trigger?
What about you Christians…why do you live a life of love and purity? Why do you live a holy life and always make righteous choices? (By the way, if you’re not living that way, it proves you don’t belong to Jesus? If you are a true Christian your life will produce the fruit of the Spirit and you will rid your life of sin. You can’t love God and commit evil against him at the same time.) Anyway, why do you live for God? Because you love to or because you have to?
How do you think God wants you to be motivated? Fear of the Lord is the BEGINNING of wisdom. But love casts out fear. So if you are motivated by love–if you enjoy living for God–then you have no need to be afraid because your love will drive you to live a life that pleases God rather than incites his wrath.
So, which do you prefer?
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What is the most valuable thing you own? A car, a house, investments, something else? How much have you spent on holding on to it, maintaining it, caring for it? How long do you expect it to last? 10 years, 100, 1000? Jesus once asked the question “What good is it if you gain the whole world, but lose your soul in the process?” How much have you invested in your eternal life? Does it come close to the time, money, and energy that you’ve spent on earthly stuff? Do you have any treasure stored in heaven? If not, now might be a good time to open an account with God. So, what would you be willing to trade for an account in the Kingdom? What if God told you it would cost you everything you have?
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