Why do you do what you do? What is your motivation behind doing it? What is that emotion you feel in your heart, running through your veins that is driving you to do what it is you do?
What is the "IT" you are doing? "IT" can be anything. It can be driving, drinking coffee, playing guitar, listening to music, serving others, sharing the "good news", going to church, to a movie, to a concert, to hang out.....anything. But the question here isn't, "What do you do?" It's why do you do it?
I believe, we don't do anything w/out something that is compelling us to do so. And nothing is going to compel us to do anything, unless we are convinced there is a bigger reason to do what we do. It's a reason or conviction that is bigger than ourselves. And it is so big, that we will stop at nothing to do it. So what is that conviction that is compelling you to do, what it is you do?
2 Cor. 5:14-15 says, "For Christ's love compels us, b/c we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore, all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."
For Paul, he considered himself an "ambassador" of the "ministry of reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:20). It was a ministry that God gave him and has given to all believers, those who would profess to follow Jesus, that not only brings us back into a forgiven, sins not counted against us relationship w/ God (2 Cor. 5:19) but it is an invitation for everyone as well.
Ever since Paul encountered Jesus, he made it his goal to tell the good news to as many Gentiles as possible so they could be reconciled to God. He would love, serve, teach, preach, instruct, correct, and do whatever it took to make sure the good news was spread to everyone in both word and deed.
But Paul was compelled to do this b/c of what he wrote in v. 14, "For Christ's love compels us." And he was "convinced that one died for all."
Compelled by the love of Christ
There is no greater motivation to serve others than the love of Jesus. Sometimes we are compelled by a little "holy guilt" to serve others. Maybe we see starving kids in Africa, homeless people in the cities or our communities, the war, etc....and we begin to feel guilty about what is happening. So b/c of this guilt, we throw ourselves into serving others.
The problem w/ guilt is that after awhile, that guilt goes away. When we begin to see others getting well b/c of our service, we don't feel guilty anymore. Sometimes those we serve seem to be ungrateful and our guilt turns to anger. And sometimes we get so burned out from serving, that the guilt goes away. That's why guilt is not what should compel us to serve others. It simply goes away after while and so do we.
But when we are compelled by the Christ's love, we begin to see others a Christ did. We begin to love others no matter who they are and/or what they have done. We begin to serve and sacrifice for others no matter the cost or inconvenience. And just like the love of Christ lasts forever, we will too.
But here again, we won't be compelled by anything, unless we are convinced there is a reason to do it.
"Convinced that One died for all"
For many believers we understand what Paul is talking about here. We understand that the "One" is Jesus, the Son of God. The one who left heaven and came to show us how to live w/ and love one another. And we also know that Jesus is the one who came to take on the sins of the world by going to the execution cross. It was a sacrificial death that he didn't deserve but did it anyway b/c of love. And we understand that it was/is/will always be this love that will reconcile us back to God.
So for many believers we get that. We've heard the sermons, read the Bible, and have studied it in classes. But are we "convinced" of it?
Paul was so convinced that he no longer lived for himself and what he wanted but began to live for the One who gives life....Jesus. Paul understood the fact that if Jesus "died for all", that means that GOD LOVES EVERYONE AND EVERYONE IS IMPORTANT TO GOD.
Paul got it! Do we? Paul was "convinced" of this! Are we?
We must be convinced that "One died for all"! We must be convinced that God loves everyone and everyone is important to God.
Being convinced goes beyond just knowing and understanding. It must be a conviction. A conviction that gives us a greater reason to live for others and not ourselves. It must be a conviction that compels us to love others b/c God does b/c everyone is important to God, everyone should be important to us.
So why do you do what you do? What is compelling you? What are you convinced of?
BW
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