Let love be your motive

Continually check the spirit in which you preach. Be careful of sarcasm, condescension, or a self-righteous spirit. It’s easy to react in a sinful manner when people call you names, cuss at you, say things that aren’t true, talk over you, and twist your words. The key is to always let love be your motivation. We don’t like rejection or humiliation, and it’s only the love of God in us that can give us the grace to handle such things.

It is a sad testimony to our lack of love that we had to be commanded to preach the gospel to every creature (see Mark 16:15). It reveals something about our sinful character. When we are held captive to our fears it reveals our lack of love. What would you think of a doctor who had a cure to cancer in his hand, and had to be commanded to take it to his dying patients? Imagine if you asked him why he was hesitating and he said, “I’m afraid they will laugh at me” or, “It’s not my gifting to take it to them,” or, “I don’t know what to say to them.” As Charles Spurgeon said, “We must be ashamed at the mere suspicion of unconcern.” So if we lack enough love to preach or we lack love when preaching, we need to get on our knees and ask afresh for the help of God.

“If we are devoted to the cause of humanity, we shall soon be crushed and brokenhearted, for we shall often meet with more ingratitude from men than we would from a dog; but if our motive is love to God, no ingratitude can hinder us from serving our fellow men.” Oswald Chambers 

Leviticus 19:18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

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