What’s in it for me?

Someone made an appeal to us partly on the idea of “this is what is in it for you.” While the “product” has its merits, this sales tactic turns me off. As I said then, and feel strongly now, I have spent all my Christian life fighting that motivation. Looking for what I can get out of it, no matter how noble the project seems, makes it selfish.

Today’s verse is short and simple:

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. (Romans 13:8)

The Bible uses a Greek word for love with a definition far different from the modern uses of this word. When God says I’m to love others, that means doing what is the eternal best for them. This almost always involves total self-denial on my part. When I mix in “what’s in it for me” love becomes blurry.

This love is a priority for Christian fellowship and the credibility of our witness to the world. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).  Paul added, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10).

Christian love is a selfless love, often a challenge but not impossible because God gives me the Holy Spirit who enables a pure love. Peter put it this way, “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart” (1 Peter 1:22).

Most of the time, loving others with the same Holy Spirit in their lives is relatively easy, but God does not stop there. Jesus also said:

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:43-45)

Every time I read that God reminds me that the love He wants demonstrated in my life is an impossibility because He uses the same Greek word for loving fellow believers as loving enemies. That tells me that I cannot do this myself. Just as I cannot love enemies, neither can I love anyone else without His input, His Spirit to produce this love in me. When He does that, then I’m not thinking about what I will get back.

The odd thing though is that this kind of love does gives back, not necessarily from the person loved, but from God. Rewards seem unlikely up front or going into a loving action, at least for me. I’ve more of a sense of losing, not gaining. It might be time, energy, or money, but love feels like a sacrifice too. Part of me resists and wants to protect myself and my resources and saying yes is difficult. However, once it is done, I am usually blessed in some way.

In contrast, human sales techniques promise specific results up front. They say if I give, then I will get . . . with the rewards spelled out. God doesn’t make such offers. He is my Lord and King. He commands obedience without any coercion about specific rewards that I will get out of it. He just asks that I be selfless and love others. He also tells me to trust Him; He will take care of my needs and wants.

This is faith. Giving up control of my wants in order to take care of someone else without any promise of what is in it for me requires trust. I must be certain that God knows what He is doing. I might not see any reward other than the satisfaction of obedience.

The bottom line is that rewards and results are up to God. More often than not, when I do what He says, He surprises me with unpredictable and unforeseen results, but I cannot obey Him with any assumptions other than He is God and knows what is best.