Motive part 1
I'm stuck on this idea of why we do what we do. And, as I was taught by my pastor, I'm going to preach it until my heart is empty on it. The cool thing about that is that I don't write because I think I know everything. I write, in large part, to explore. To find things out along the way. It's like this: We have an unction from the Holy One and we know all things, right? (1 John 2:20) But what is really important in this life is understanding what we know. We know the ultimate truth of the universe: God is love and He loves you. The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His hands. But until we understand what it truly means to be loved... until we understand that all things have been placed into our hands because the Father's beloved Son in whom He is well pleased is our true identity... until we begin to mature in that truth... well... let me say it this way: The truth is the truth whether you know it or not. Whether you understand it or not. But when you know it and believe it and understand it... that's when the truth is true... for you. That's when you can experience and enjoy the gift you've been given. So. Let's look at my key verse for this Rant series, Philippians 2:13, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." To me, that pretty much says it all. Why do we do what we do? Because it is in our heart to do it. How did it get there? God put it there. It's that simple. And, really, what else could the God who IS love put into our hearts (which are only concerned with love)? What else could His good pleasure possibly be? He, like any true Father, wants to see His Son succeed. That's why He gave us everything He has and everything He is. Literally handed us the keys to the Kingdom. Gave us that mustard seed of faith. Provided for us the Way of Grace. And all we have to do is respond to it with the Walk of Faith. Let His Word (which is Jesus, which is love) be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. And I'm telling you, when you experience God's love it provokes that response all by itself. We don't "praise" Him in order to get Him to do something. We praise Him because what He has already done is worthy of praise! We don't rub a genie bottle and hope for three wishes. That's not faith. Faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for. Faith is trusting God--love--because He has proven Himself trustworthy. So our motive is never to get. Love is giving. It's not about getting. Love is not selfish. It (HE) does not think about itself (Himself). Love is giving. Love is giving. Love is giving. Freely we have received, freely we are to give. God is working in us BOTH to will AND to do. Not just the want to, but the power to. Not just the idea of love, but charity--which is love in action. It's easy to think about things sometimes. But we don't always take that next step. When we understand that it is Jesus living His own abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of love in us, and through us, and as us... that's when we stop trying to follow in His foot steps and just simply let Him make His own foot steps with our feet. That's when our motive becomes easy. We don't even have to think about it. We don't have to fake it 'til we make it. We can simply let the love that is already inside come out by knowing and believing that it's in there!