"mo-TEA-vators"

As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.                                           (1 Thessalonians 4:1, NIV)

Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, (1 Thessalonians 4:1, NIV)

Who or what motivates people these days? Who or what motivates me is the better question?
A recent Sunday sermon by Jason Seville, coupled with the reading of gods at war by Kyle Idleman, kept that question whirring in my head. Maybe a rephrasing of the question would give more insight into one's character or theology. Who or what mo-TEA-vates me to living right?
Christians, like all people, need encouragement and exhortation for "right living." A tandem. A duo that seems to go together. Seville calls them "A pat on the back and a shot in the arm." Encouragement. Attaboy! Attagirl! Dr. Scott Morris, Director of Church Health Center said his father taught him, "Everybody wants a pat on the back---I want it, you want it, a dog wants it." (Commercial Appeal, 3/3, M1)
In the letter from Paul to the church in Thessalonica, we see his encouragement. He encourages them as he relates what he is seeing in their lives. A life style that pleases God. A love for all of God's family. But Paul doesn't stop there. We read Paul's exhortations of these good and godly acts which are already a part of there lives, as he urges them to do more and more. Finally, Paul commends them to "encourage one another with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:18) A shot in the arm.

"Grands" mo-TEA-vate grandparents to "live right."

We also need to dispense encouragement and exhortation to others.

"Mo-TEA-vation" is a cuppa we need to share.
"Mo-TEA." More and more!

Love-o-Meter

3/14/11

Want to check out your love life or love-o-meter for others? Francis Chan suggests in his book, Crazy Love, that you insert your name where love or its pronoun are mentioned in I Corinthians 13:4-8. Do that for each phrase as you read aloud this Monday’s passage for meditation.

Dotsy is patient. Dotsy is kind. Dotsy does not envy. (You get the “convicting” idea.)

Love is patient

and kind;

love does not envy

or boast;

it is not arrogant

or rude.

It does not insist on its own way;

it is not irritable

or resentful;

it does not rejoice at wrongdoing,

but rejoices with the truth.

Love bears all things,

believes all things,

hopes all things

endures all things.

God calls us to love. To love Him and others as ourselves. Too often we love ourselves above all else. God measures our lives by how we love. (Chan, 93) How is your love-o-meter looking?