“But Peter and John replied, ‘Judge for yourself whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19-20

Is serving God your obligation or passion?

I was sitting alone in a hotel room in Rome, thinking to myself, “Why am I here?” I grew up believing that in order to be a good Christian, I needed to do certain things. I believed my value was based in what I did for God. Then, God changed my heart. He began to show me what it meant to truly love Him and let that love motivate me to act.

I had committed to a mission trip, which included a week of training in Rome, then two weeks of service in Birmingham, U.K. In the middle of the week of training, I began to doubt my own intentions. As I prayed for clarity, God gave me Acts 4:20, which affected me deeply: “For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

The early Christians were not motivated by obligation. They did not live their lives based on a rigid set of rituals. The early followers of Christ were compelled by something much more significant. Many had been in the presence of God in the form of the man, Jesus Christ. They had seen things they could not reason away. The sick had been healed. The dead had been raised. They had experienced a love and a power they had never felt before ? and they could not stop talking about it, even at the threat of imprisonment or death.

If any of us feel like our devotion to God is based on ritual or if we are trying to gain God’s favor by doing something for Him, we’ve got things upside down. We shouldn’t have to ask why we are doing what we are doing if our motivation is love ? for God, and for others.

Lord, why do I serve you? Search my heart and change me if my motivation is wrong. Let me never do anything to earn your love because I already have it. May I never serve from a need for recognition or out of obligation. Help me know you and serve out of the overflow of your love. Amen.

By Debbie West
Used by Permission

https://thelife.com/devotionals

FURTHER READING

• Sit Down and Listen

• Serving the Lord Wholeheartedly

• Bloom… Where You are Planted

The post Compelled by Love appeared first on Thoughts About God.

One of my sons when he was little had an endearing habit of grabbing my face so that I would look at him while he was talking. I confess that as a busy mom I was often distracted and found myself half-listening to my talkative son and this was his way of grabbing my attention and ensuring that I was focused on him.

Even at such a young age, my son had a built in longing to be heard and understood, to be loved and valued for who he was.

We all have a yearning deep in our soul to be heard and understood, love and valued for who we are.
Have you ever been talking on the phone with a friend when you get a little niggling doubt that they might not really be listening to you? It can be devastating to bear your soul, only to discover later in the conversation that they haven’t even heard a word you’ve said.

Do you ever secretly wonder if God is the same way? He’s got so much on His mind, demanding His attention, how could He ever have time to listen to your concerns? Does He really have the time to stop, bend down and listen to you?

Look at what Psalm 116:1-2 says, “I love the LORD because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!”

This is God in relationship with us!

Drawing close. Bending down. Listening intently. Loving fully.

Isn’t this the kind of God we’ve been searching for?

Just as a child longs to have his parent’s undivided attention, our heart longs for God’s ever attentive love. He made us this way. He put within us this longing.

But so often we go away from Him and not towards Him. We ignore the need of our heart and turn to other things to satisfy the deep longing of our soul. Then because these things never completely satisfy us, we get disillusioned in our faith, wonder if God even cares and question whether He is really listening or not.

But amazingly He is listening and He is waiting for us to turn to Him. And when we finally do He bends down and gently takes our face in His hands, wipes the tears from our eyes and says, “I’m listening, my child, what do need to tell me?”

By Kristi Huseby
Used by Permission

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