Motive part 2
I want to build off of our key memory verse from yesterday. Philippians 2:13 says, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." that, in a nutshell, is our motive. God working in us giving us both the want to and the ability to. That's why--and how--we do what we do. Now look at the very next verse, "Do all things without murmurings and disputings." I think that says a lot about God's good pleasure. He is the God of peace, not of confusion, right? "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God" (Matthew 5:9). What I'm trying to say today, I think, is this: If you don't know what to do... do what you know. Don't try to get your own way in every situation. That's selfish, and love is not. Try to make peace in every situation. Do all things without murmurings and disputings. And, listen, I'm not saying you should accept every single thing. Some things are unacceptable. What I'm saying is, you don't have to fight about it. Even those things that you can't accept. Because--here's the straight truth of the matter--you can't change people. You can't make people be who you want them to be. The best you can do is be who God wants YOU to be. The best you can do is love people no matter what. Even if that means loving them from a distance. Sometimes you have to turn the other cheek. Choose to not retaliate. But that doesn't mean you should stand there and let people keep slapping you and slapping you. It means don't slap back. Shrug your shoulders and move on. Don't murmur about it. Don't dispute with them. Let people be who they are. But, again, that doesn't mean you have to a part of it. Or a party to it. You don't have to go down the road with someone if you don't like where that road is leading. But you can't necessarily stop THEM from going either. You have to let people be who they are. While still being who YOU are. Your motive should not be to change people. Your motive should be to love people. And I know we have this idea of "tough love" where we think we're supposed to squash people into our box. Into our idea of who they're supposed to be. Guys, the only person I take that much responsibility for is my son. Who, at the time of this wriiting, is nine. So I think it's my job to exert some parental control over him. Set the rules, and the boundaries. But at the same time, I don't force him to like the things I like, or anything like that. I let him be who HE is. And I love Him no matter what. I'm trying my best to train him up in the way he should go. Because he's mine. He's my responsibility. When he gets older he'll have to make those choices for himself, and I'll have to let him. Point being--when we're dealing with people its not our job to make them be who we think they should be. It's not our job to force people to be anything or anybody. If the Holy Spirit can't convict them, what chance do we have? Not much. So don't get into disputes with people. Let them be who they are. Love them no matter what, even if it has to be from a distance. Don't accept anything and everything, but don't think it's your job to control everything and everybody either.