Resources/Articles
Christ's Motive and Ours (2)
Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 2:5
Whether it be a spouse who stays awake at night while you lay sick, not considering their own health, a passerby who saves you from drowning, sinking back in the water and drowning himself, or a soldier - unrelated to you - who goes to war for you and others, it stuns a heart to know someone would die for your sake. How much should your heart melt when the One, the Christ of Calvary, died “for your sake” to save you from sin?
What should now burn in our hearts is what we can do “for His sake.”
This is the motive which moved Christ in the work He accomplished for us. He listened and obeyed the call of His father “for His sake.”
We may have heard the best life you can live is to live for the good of others. At times there is so little room in a person to move toward the spirit of self-sacrifice. People assume there must be a greater motive, for in this world we are offered so many rewards, honors, positions, and statuses. What higher reward is there? The fact is, we soon become tired of all those rewards. We have so many trophies, certificates, watches, rings, plaques, and ribbons already.
Heed the call...
The true way is to live “for His sake” in seeking to save our fellow man. The motive is a constant, constraining power. It prevents us from being weary in well-doing (Galatians 6:9). Regardless of being discouraged along the way, our motivating force will always be the same - “for His sake.” The more we whisper “for His sake” to ourselves again and again, we shall be made strong for good works or to suffer. We will go forth in the service of each day “for His sake,” knowing He, “for your sakes” gave Himself in toil and agony.
What an honor, privilege, blessing, and opportunity to do, be, or bear anything for Him. Our suffering will never be worth a thought when compared with His glory or the glory above (Romans 8:17). Any sacrifice we offer “for HIs sake” would be small, compared to His sacrifice “for our sakes.” If we lost everything, my Lord lost it all “for your sake.”
Paul spoke of his motive in stewardship of preaching the gospel in 1 Corinthians 9:23 as “for the gospel’s sake.” In Colossians 1:24, he said it was “for his body’s sake, which is the church.” His motive expanded from His sake to the gospel’s sake to the church’s sake. Our motive should duplicate the same. The Lord and HIs church need all your service, strength, labor, and talent. As 2 John 2 says, let it be “for the truth’s sake, which dwells in us.”
The motive compels you and convicts you. Whatever the service may be, whether in helping the sick, leading your family, facing a disease, sorrow, criticism, etc., “for HIs sake” serve, teach, endure, bear, be patient, give, worship, etc. I doubt any of us will reach our last breath and say, “I did too much for the sake of my Savior.” We will rather bless His name because He accepted the little we could do, then mourn because it is so little compared with what He deserves.
If you have no interest in what has been done “for your sake,” and what you can do “for His sake” in sacrifice and service, think about the words of this poem:
When often, like a wayward child,
I murmur at His will,
The this sweet word, “For Jesus’ sake,”
My restless heart can still.
I bow my head and gently led,
His easy yoke I take --
And all the day,
and all the way,
An echo in my heart shall say --
“For Jesus’ sake!”
