Love is a great motivator. We read in the Bible where even God, motivated by love, sent Jesus to earth. Jesus on earth, because of His love for humanity, surrenders to God’s plan of dying on the cross for sins that we were guilty of. John 3:16 has been probably one of the most familiar verses ever. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should never parish, but have everlasting life.” Even God is motivated by love.
LOVE MOTIVATES
We know that love is a feeling, but we also realize it as a choice. If we are honest we would admit that the feelings of love fluctuate some along the way, but our choice to love someone holds us steady in relationship.
Because of love we choose to act and react certain ways toward the ones we love. I have friends that I love; I give them more of my time than people that I am just friendly with. I have family that I love more than my friends, and I treat them differently as well. Incidentally, I have been told that God gives you friends to apologize for the family He gave you. That is not my experience, but I do have friends that I love as family.
LOVE IN ACTION
Love needs many words to describe how it is to be lived out. It can be labeled as “devotion” to someone which means loyalty. We can use the word “honor” which speaks of respecting another and giving them priority in our life. “Sharing” with others is a sign of love. It is means allowing others the benefits of my belongings. We often think of “hospitality” as having someone over for dinner, but in its broader sense it means being ready and generous in our reception of others. We partner up with those we love being responsible to take care of our responsibilities and allowing others their input as well. That is called living in harmony. In 1 Corinthians 13 of the Bible there is a whole paragraph listed of what love is and is not.
It is easy to be selfish, which is loving ourselves more than others. But again love for others motivates us to think of others first. Because I love my wife I consider her needs over my own, and how I might help create an atmosphere where she can be a success in life. Because I love my family I work at work and I am at home when I am at home. Because I love my children I work to understand what they need me to be while at home, and then plan to fulfill that. I might be tired, but they want to play soccer in the backyard. I might be tired of communicating with other people all day, but they need me to listen. Friends might call and need me for something; how ready am I to respond?
We need each other in so many ways; one way is emotional support. How does being around me build others up? When people have been near me, do they go away feeling belittled or beaten down or discouraged? It is proper at the right time to bring direction or maybe some uncomfortable challenge. Dare I say that any situation can be approached lovingly, so that people would still be sure of our love for them no matter how uncomfortable the situation is that had to be addressed. I don’t mean a pansy approach. I mean a solid approach that tells the truth, but there is never a question of how much we care.
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