What Motivates What You Do?

Richard Thetford

Our character makeup, the things we do, what we say, where we go, what we wear, are all motivated by what is important to us. Christians are to be motivated by Christ and a sincere love for Him. When that is the case then we will truly live our lives for Him on a daily basis. A Christian that is unfaithful and engaged in the works of the flesh is not motivated to live for Christ. Jesus said: "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33). We are either living fully and completely for the one who loved us and died for us or we are not. It cannot be both ways. “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). I am uplifted when I see Christians living their lives for Christ because of their love for Him. On the other hand, I am very discouraged when Christians get involved with worldly things and acting like those of the world. We are in the world but we certainly are not to be of the world. We are to be separate, holy, and transformed as we live a life devoted to Christ our Lord (2 Corinthians 6:17; 1 Peter 1:15-16; Romans 12:1-2). I want to encourage every Christian to live in such a way that others can see that it is evident that we are living for Christ and not the ways of the world. (1 Timothy 4:15).