Why do you do what you do?

“For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.”

2 Timothy 1:12-13

Why does it matter how you act or what you do? Is it a question of morality or just because you know you should “be a good person?" What drives you when it comes to your decision making? As believers I feel that we have a tendency of just being nice because we think it’s the right thing to do. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is the right thing to do to try and “be nice” but should that really be your motivation for it? It’s almost like we do it just to fit the mold of what it looks like to be a Christian. 

Every day on my drive home from work, I listen to a podcast called Dad Tired. It’s basically a podcast modeled around being a community of Christian men who are trying to be more like Christ and better husbands, fathers, and believers. (Please be advised, you don’t have to be a dad to listen to it or to meet the criteria of the group. You simply need to be a Christian). In the latest episode that I listened to, he was talking about how, when you’re a parent, you typically are asked by your children, “why are we doing this?” or “why do we help people?”. The speaker continued to say to his son that,” It’s because Jesus showed love to me. Jesus helped others.” I agree so much with that thinking, that we shouldn’t just have good morals because the Bible teaches us to but even greater than that, Jesus did those things. Jesus loved the unlovable. Jesus reached out to the broken and weak and weary. Jesus saved people. Jesus loves me. Jesus reached out to me and helped me. Jesus saved me and because He has done all these things for me, how could I not do the same for others? Would I truly be thankful for what Jesus has done for me if I don’t do the same for others?

It’s been said before that grace is only amazing for those who realize how filthy they are. It’s so true, until you realize just how gracious and merciful God had to be to forgive you, you will never truly understand the grace that’s been given to you.