The Motive of Love | Galatians 5:14

What drives your action? Your love or Christ's love?

Today, our call-out goes to Craig Rogers from Long Island, NY. Thanks for your encouragement!

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” — Galatians 5:14

This is an interesting line from Paul because, throughout this letter, he has been referring to the law and the works of the law negatively. But here, he makes an abrupt turn. He encourages obedience to the law summed up in a single command. So why this change?

He does this only because he views the law through the life of Jesus, who fulfilled it. In Jesus's fulfillment of the entire law, we are freed to love. In loving others, we embody Jesus's love because his love sustains and empowers us to love ourselves and others rightly.

Returning to the previous text, this all hinges on what motivates our love. Is our love motivated by selfish intent or selfless intent? Do we love our neighbor with our selfish love, or do we love our neighbor with his selfless love? There is a vast difference between these two motives.

This is the motivational tightrope we walk every day, and the hope is that all our motivation is driven to love others perfectly from his perfect love working through us. So go, love people today. But love them differently. Look at them and love them by his love, not your love. Love them selflessly, not selfishly. Love them like Jesus loved them, and I pray all your actions will reflect more of him and less of yourself.

#ChristlikeLove #SelflessAction #MotivatedByLove

ASK THIS:

1. Reflect on a recent interaction with someone. Did your actions reflect selfish love or Christ's selfless love? How could you have responded differently to align more closely with Christ's example?
2. Think about a challenging relationship in your life. How might intentionally choosing to love that person with Christ's love instead of your own impact the dynamics of the relationship? What steps can you take to embody Christ's love more fully in that relationship?

DO THIS: Love like Jesus. Selflessly.

PRAY THIS: Lord, help me to love others with the same selfless love that You have shown me, guiding my actions to reflect Your heart for humanity. May Your love flow through me, transforming my motives and empowering me to love others as You have loved me. Amen.

PLAY THIS: For God So Loved.