"If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him." John 14:23

It is simple to do the right thing for the wrong reason. Our motives are not always pleasing to the Lord. They may be polluted with selfishness. "What's in it for me?" "Maybe she will help me later." "I will make a big impression."

Why do we try to do God's will? What motivates us to love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind? What is our motivation for loving our neighbor?

We love God because He first loved us. It was not possible for us to love Him, for we were dead in trespasses and sins. "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

We respond to God's love by keeping His commandments, by doing His will. His death and resurrection motivate us to present ourselves to Him in a life of service. We live a Christ-pleasing life because we love the Lord Jesus, who first loved us.

May His love motivate us in all that we do, think, and say!

PRAYER: Jesus, help me to live for You out of love to You, for You first loved me and gave Yourself for me. Amen.

(Devotions from "The Abundant Life" copyright 1998, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time e-mailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)

Today's Bible Readings: 2 Samuel 1-2    Luke 24:36-53

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