As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
In preaching, teaching and writing, our good intentions are often defeated by an avoidable poor choice of words. Sometimes these inapt wordings gain popularity among Christians and become proverbial. Without thinking, we repeat them for the amens.
One example is the popular habit of speaking of duty and love as though they’re two competing and incompatible dynamics in the Christian life.
Christian living isn’t just having your heart in the right place, but it isn’t less than that. Given that our hearts are “prone to wander,” as the song says, we need multiple ways to conduct “heart checks” on ourselves.
One self-diagnostic is to examine what we’re eager for.
When I was a kid, I looked forward to Christmas every year with great eagerness. It was an accurate reflection of where my heart was!
“There is nothing inherently good or evil about church size. It is the coveting of size and status that is the wellspring of evil. The underlying deception is that godliness is a means of gain.” - Ref21
Reposted from Rooted Thinking.
Even though I had my struggles as a teen, God had my heart. I wanted to serve Him. When I heard appeals from pastors or missionaries about being willing to give ourselves fully to Christ in full-time Christian service, my heart sang, “Let me!”
“[W]e are so quick to assume the very best about our own motives and the very worst about others’.” - Challies
CHAPTER V - WHAT MISSIONARY MOTIVES SHOULD PREVAIL?
“The love of Christ constraineth us” (1 Corinthians 5:14)
Reward-based motivational methods have been around for a long time. Whether patches and bars for children who learn verses or plaques and certificates for hard-working adults, we line people up and applaud them. But some believers are uncomfortable with these traditions. Shouldn’t we serve the Lord out of love? Doesn’t the applause of men rob God of His 
glory and encourage pride?
Extrinsic motivators are continually at work in our lives, shaping our choices and lending direction. These motivators, both those made by man and those designed by God, represent an important ingredient that adds order and structure to our lives. They serve purpose that cannot and should not be denied. Effective employers, teachers, and parents all understand how to wisely and properly use external motivation in order to move others toward established goals.
Discussion