It’s important for everyone to take time to reflect on why they do the things they do. Our motivations are key for directing our lives. If we are out of touch with our motives, then we will often behave inconsistently, hypocritically, and differentially towards others. I believe some of the most powerful aspects of a humans life is how we love, forgive, serve, and demonstrate humility. And it’s just as important to be grounded in the “why” behind all of those things.

“We love because he first loved us.”

1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Why love? Because He first loved us. Without His love we wouldn’t have any real firm foundation for why to love and who to love. Our love would be mostly emotion driven and inconsistent at best. We would love those who are lovable and rarely beyond that. But the love of Jesus, for those who put Him on the cross, breaks down all barriers to who we are meant to love. Jesus said to love your enemies, and He certainly demonstrated that. Love is an action of the will. And it must be sincere. When we come across unloving people every day of our lives, we can always fall back on the reminder that Jesus loves us, even in our most unlovable state. And He went to the cross out of that love. We have a heavenly love only when we’ve been transformed but His love.

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭32‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Why forgive? Because He first forgave us. Forgiveness can be difficult. If you’ve ever been betrayed, abused, or suffered great loss at the hands of someone else, you know what it’s like to struggle through the process of forgiving others. But the hard, yet freeing reality is, no one could ever hurt us as much as we’ve hurt God. Our thoughts, words, lack of faith, selfishness, and rebellion have all placed Christ on the Cross of Calvary. It’s not until we understand the great measure of grace that has been shown to us that we are finally free to forgive others as we should.

“But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.””

Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭43‬, ‭45‬ ‭ESV

Why serve? Because He came to serve us. God in the flesh; stepped out of heaven; took on human form, and served humanity. How? He constantly gave of Himself. His life was one of the greatest humility. And when we realize it was the greatest of beings that displayed the greatest humility, how can we help but to give of ourselves?

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV

Why be selfless? Because He was selfless. The story of all creation is His story. The Bible is a unified story that leads to Jesus. In Him and through Him all things were created. He is the beginning and the end. Even-so, Jesus lived for others. He died for humanity. And He rose from the dead and conquered death to give hope to the same ones who put Him on the cross. As the apostle Paul said, “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.“ It is the selflessness of Christ who gives us hope, and it is our selflessness that brings a bit of the kingdom of heaven to earth.

Peace in Christ brothers and sisters.