In everything you do and say, what motive(s) do you have? i.e. Think about the "reason for doing something, especially one that is hidden or not obvious." What motivates you to get up every morning and do what you do? Are you motivated to be kind, sincere, honest, forgiving, generous, etc.? What are you motivated to do when you wake up each day? What motivated you to be where you are today? Motives make a difference...
Today, I was reminded that if love doesn't motivate you, you can do all the things you want to do but whatever you do won't be as effective, meaningful or valuable. Selfishness, pride, arrogance, money, power, control, revenge, unforgiveness, anger, etc. are not motives that influence a real change that lasts and makes a positive difference. If love is what motivates you... try it and see how different things can be when love is your key motive.
Think about what drives you to do all that you do at home, work or in the community. When do you see the greatest impact? When are you most satisfied and people around you also benefit... because of what motivated you? It's unfortunate that when you are indifferent to doing something and your heart is not in it, it only reaches a certain level of success--if at all, other times it's a total flop! Sometimes you stop caring, or never really cared from the beginning, and then things don't work out as well as they could or should. Unless you are truly committed with all your heart and mind, with a dose of love, you may miss the mark. Make every effort not to miss the mark at home, work or in the community.
Example: Being generous brings me joy... but if I don't do it with love, it's meaningless. 1 Corinthians 13:3-4 says, "If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud." When I find myself giving out of a loving heart, even the receiver is blessed by the gift I share... With love as my motive, even the way I give makes a difference.
As you go about your day, reexamine what motives "stir" you to do what you do. What are your motivations? Things seem (or become) much easier, no matter how challenging, when your motivation is love.
