Motivation
What are you motivated by?
Take a minute to actually think about that. Are your actions motivated by a desire to get something for yourself? A hope that you'll be rewarded? Or, are your actions motivated by true compassion for others?
There's a big difference.
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If your motives don't stem out of complete love for others, out of complete compassion, you're just making noise.
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1 Corinthians 13 says that if we aren't motivated by love, we are just like a "noisy gong" or "clanging cymbal." When you're just making noise, you're distracting. Annoying. Bothersome. Loud. Even if you're doing something "good," I would argue that it really doesn't even matter if your motives aren't right.
Ouch.
Today, my prayer is to be wholly motivated by the Holy Spirit, whose fruit is love, and whose desire is for all to one day be made whole, healthy, and well. May the word of our gracious God give us grace to love others, and may our words, therefore, be gracious, sweet to the soul, bringing health to the body of Christ (Proverbs 16).
