Why do we love people?
#1 It's not for us! We do not enter into love so that we will receive love in return or so that we will receive happiness. Far to many "Christians" believe that God just wants them to be happy. NO NO NO! While it may be a tertiary result or a byproduct of a life devoted to God (and often is), He wants you to have a deep and rich relationship with Himself - this is holiness. Marriage brings joy, belonging, happiness, companionship, comfort, support, and many many other things - but these are not the goals of marriage. In fact, they pale in comparison to the purpose of marriage, and in fact the purpose of all life, to bring people into relationship with the God of the universe. Happiness fades, excitement wanes, but a relationship with God can NEVER be taken away. If you seek happiness as your primary goal, it is your god and you will never catch it. If you seek God above all else, even through trial and pain, you will ultimately not miss it, and you will experience joy and fulfillment at a level you've never imagined possible. If happiness is your goal, you've placed yourself at the center of the universe, and you're just not that great...
#2 It's not for them! When we share the Gospel with someone, we can be moved by compassion and the reality that Hell is forever (just like Heaven) and we don't want them to spend eternity there, but our primary motivation is not compassion, it is God. If the reason we are so passionate about sharing the gospel is that we care for people, then you just care too much about them. God is the one we care most about. People will reject the Gospel, in fact, most people will reject the Gospel (think "narrow path"). So, if your motivation is the pity of the pagan, you will lead a life of disappointment and you'll eventually hit a wall of ministry burn-out that might even lead to questioning Gospel-centered ministry or your own salvation. God tells Isaiah to preach and preach and preach even if only 10% believe and they wholly reject you. Jesus says that we need to be willing to HATE our family and friends for the sake of the Gospel. This is hyperbole to describe the fact that our love and devotion to God should be the driving passionate force in our life that compels us to share the Gospel with anything that moves ("every creature under heaven"). Are people important, sure, but people are NOTHING compared to God. That's why when caring for the poor, we take care ESPECIALLY for the household of God, because when you do things unto the "least of these MY BROTHERS" we do it to Jesus (Gal 6:10; Matt 25:40). So caring for the poor is great, but to do so indiscriminately while passing over Christians needs is to have priorities out of what, and to care for the poor without a clear verbal Gospel witness is POINTLESS (Matt 16:26).
#3 It's for God! Obviously (based on my sermonizing above) God is to be the absolute center of our lives. Your marriage will get boring and your spouse will not love or respect you like you think you deserve, YOU DON'T DESIRE ANYTHING. You love them because God loved you, period! Most often when loved like Jesus loves us, your other-half will be compelled to love back, but not always, you don't love them based on their response. When you share the Gospel, it's not about their response. When you give time or money with people, it's not about their response, though many people are more likely to receive your words if you couple them with kindness, they will not always listen. It's about God, and it's not a dry devoted obligation, it's a passionate commitment to the all-loving, all-powerful, all-caring, all-sufficient Lord Jesus Christ. We do what we do for God who does not change. If you do it for another reason, you'll eventually be disappointed, you'll burn-out, you'll need "time away" from church, and you'll never live the life God has for you. You'll flit from one thing to the next in search of the all illusive "happiness" and you'll never find it. Seek first HIS KINGDOM and living by His boundaries and God will take care of the rest.
Everything is about God, we're able to do everything by His power and grace, and every single part of our life should be a memorial to the gift of His Son and the abundant life we've recieved. Or as the Apostle Paul said "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen." (Rom. 11:36)
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