AUGUST 4 READING…2 CORINTHIANS 5
Sometimes we all need a little motivation in this life. And to be honest sometimes we need motivation in carrying out our ministries in the church, whatever they may be. Paul gives us some motivations as we walk in Christ, trusting Him, and fulfilling the ministry of the Gospel that He has called us to. He tells us first that we have the motivation of a promised future that is perfect in Christ’s salvation. Our earthly bodies are fading, but praise God these earthly bodies are not what we will have for eternity. For our eternity is promised to us that when we leave this world we children of God go into the presence of our Lord. Our eternity is sealed in the promise of Christ’s salvation. Paul then tells us that when we arrive in heaven there will be rewards for us. This is his second motivation for our continued walk in the Lord in this difficult world. As we live surrendered lives to the Holy Spirit, He will work the works of God through us. Then the Lord will give us rewards for what He has accomplished through His obedient children. I believe we will realize in that day that these belong to the Lord, and we will lay them at His feet.
We then have the great motivation of the love of Christ. It makes all the difference that we know that we are loved by our Savior. The love of Christ empowers us to do that which we could never do on our own. We can have great confidence as disciples of Jesus, for we know He knows us, and He loves us enormously. Finally, Paul tells us of the motivation of the fact that God has privileged us to join Him in His great ministry of reconciliation. We are a new creation in Christ, and we are new to share with others how they can be reconciled to God through His Son, Jesus. Jesus came to bring fallen mankind back to God…and He has given us the ministry of sharing the message…that is joining Him in His great work. How wonderful is that?
Please share your thoughts from today’s reading.
TOMORROW’S READING…2 CORINTHIANS 6