WHY? (5)

The Love Of Christ

2 Corinthians 5:14–15 KJV 1900

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn was a Russian writer who resisted the rise of communism in the Soviet Union He was unjustly imprisoned, and then, just before he was due to be released, he was given a life sentence to the Gulags which were the Soviet Union’s version of concentration camps. He wrote about his suffering and received the Nobel Prize in literature in 1970.

During Solzhenitsyn’s imprisonment, he came to personal faith in Jesus Christ. Because the love of Christ continually infused his heart with hope and strength in the midst of such dark and hopeless circumstances.

At one point he became so weak and discouraged that he wanted to die. After watching many men die from the brutal beatings of the prison guards, Alexander made the decision to give up and just stop working. This would cause the guards to beat him to death. Compared to his suffering, death was freedom.

A fellow Christian sensed his despair and discreetly drew a cross in the dirt where he knew Alexander would see it. That cross changed everything. The image quickly drawn in the dirt reminded Alexander of the Saviour who loved him.

Every man always has handy a dozen glib little reasons why he is right not to sacrifice himself. -Alexander Solzhenitsyn

I look back with grateful trembling

At the life I have had to lead.

Neither desire nor reason

Has illumined its twists and turns,

But the glow of a Higher Meaning

Only later to be explained.

And now with the cup returned to me

I scoop up the water of life.

Almighty God! I believe in Thee!

Thou remained when I Thee denied.

Even in the most desperate circumstances, Alexander Solzhenitsyn found renewed strength and hope. The love of Jesus changes everything.

Love is possibly the purest motivation. When you love someone you will do anything for them and when someone loves you, you desperately want to live up to their vision of you.

Loss Of Motivation Is Often Due To A Lack Of Love

“Over a half century ago, while I was still a child, I recall hearing a number of old people offer the following explanation for the great disasters that had befallen Russia: "Men have forgotten God; that's why all this has happened." Since then I have spent well-nigh 50 years working on the history of our revolution; in the process I have read hundreds of books, collected hundreds of personal testimonies, and have already contributed eight volumes of my own toward the effort of clearing away the rubble left by that upheaval. But if I were asked today to formulate as concisely as possible the main cause of the ruinous revolution that swallowed up some 60 million of our people, I could not put it more accurately than to repeat: "Men have forgotten God; that's why all this has happened.”― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

If you are struggling with being motivated to serve God it is very possibly because you have lost sight of the love of Christ for you or of your love for Christ.

We are not alone in this the Church of Ephesus has this same problem in the book of Revelation

Revelation 2:1–5 KJV 1900

Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Even in the middle of all their great service and separation for God they had lost their love.

The center of the Christian life is love of Christ. When we lose sight of this we often begin to start going in the circles of useless repetition.

1 Corinthians 13:1 KJV 1900

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

A Lifetime Motivation

The author of the book of Hebrew is writing to develop Hebrew Christians maturity in the faith. He is calling new believers away from religious traditions and systematic worship and into a real intimate, growing relationship with Christ.

Everything they thought they knew about God needed to be replaced by a relationship with their Saviour who is more wonderful and perfect than they could ever imagine.

Hebrews 12:1–3 KJV 1900

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Think about the words "looking unto Jesus" and "consider him".

When you feel overwhelmed and tempted, look to Jesus.

Think about His grace, love, and willingness to die for you.

Consider the intense love He showed you from that agonizing place of sin and death.

Think about the crown of thorns on His head and the cat-of-nine-tails' that opened back.

Remember the booing mobs and His blood that flowed, and His crying out to God, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?".

2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV 1900

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Why would God demonstrate that kind of love? And how could any of us who have taken part of that love return anything less than the highest love—with all our heart, mind, soul, and body?

When we are struggling to find a reason to move forward or be faithful we just need to look back to the cross. Our devotion to Christ should be the product of His love for us, which defies all desperation.

How often we focus on our circumstances and not on the cross?

Our hearts and minds are preoccupied with the struggles of this life, we forget His love and we lose our motivation.

That is why Jesus tells us to regularly remember His death by taking the Lord's Supper 1 Corinthians 11.

What often at first glance appeared to be overwhelming and discouraging now seems to be just a tiny example of what it means to truly "take up your cross".

Even the most hopeless heart is given new strength and desire by the hope we find in our relationship with our Redeemer Jesus Christ.

Viewing Every Trial Through The Love Of Christ

"After the Western ideal of unlimited freedom, after the Marxist concept of freedom as acceptance of the yoke of necessity—here is the true Christian definition of freedom. Freedom is self-restriction! Restriction of the self for the sake of others!― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Paul viewed every trial through the lens of Christ's love and realized that even his most trying circumstances were helping him to grow and mature in Christ and Christ’s love for and in him. The visible Paul’s visible growth

2 Corinthians 4:8–12 KJV 1900

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

The fact that the Son of God had personally died for Paul's sin was something he never got over nor should we.

Every day of our lives must be viewed through the love of Christ. Consider how our heart would be strengthened if, even in the most difficult of circumstances, you know God was using you to help others understand and experience His love.

Fickle Motivations

Serving God is full of ups and downs, even in ministry. Sometimes it seems like we are maturing in God's grace and love, and other days we are carnal and rebellious. We will constantly be disappointed if our motives are tied to positive events and kind people.

Christ’s love for us is the highest, holiest, and only eternal value.

Our motives must be based on His unchanging promises and higher standards.

Our motives must be independent of everything including how people behave, treat us or what our day to day lives are like.

Christ is unconditional, unwavering, abundant in His love for us.

While circumstances and people can change, Jesus never fails.

Do We Love Him?

1 John 4:19 KJV 1900

We love him, because he first loved us.

Meditate On The Love Of Christ For You

Read the Gospels and you will be reminded of the love of God revealed to man through the life, death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

We are reminded again and again in Scripture of the height, the depth, the length and the breadth of God’s love.

Verbally Tell The Lord You Love Him

When we tell others we love them it is not because we have stopped and restarted our love for them, but rather to strengthen the connection between them and us.

Express Love Even Through The Routine

If we truly love the Lord then we will love the Lord even in the simple every day tasks and moments of life.

Love The Unlovely In Christ’s Name

One should never direct people towards happiness, because happiness too is an idol of the market-place. One should direct them towards mutual affection. A beast gnawing at its prey can be happy too, but only human beings can feel affection for each other, and this is the highest achievement they can aspire to.-Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Christ didn’t love us because we deserved it, but rather He loved us because He is love.

When we trust Christ and accept this love it begins to live in us and we can start to love those who are unlovely just like we were.

When we love Christ we express that love by loving others not because they are worthy or even grateful, but because He who is LOVE lives in and through us.