Have you ever stopped and asked yourself the question, “What motivates me to do what I do?” What motivates me to strive for good grades, to play the sports I play, or to choose the friends that I have? Self-reflection is always a good idea, and can help us to become a better person. But some even more important questions might be, “What motivates me to go to church, to read my Bible, or to help with junior church?” Am I “playing the part” of a good Christian, or is my heart really in it? Has my relationship with God been stuck in the realm of “duty” for too long, or do I take “delight” in serving God?
In I Samuel 16:7, when Samuel is looking for the next king among Jesse’s sons, the Lord tells him, “Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature, for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” Our service for the Lord should not be motivated by how we look to others, but by what is in our hearts.
I think one of the best examples in Scripture of a relationship with God that is a delight, can be found in the book of Psalms through the example of David, a man after God’s own heart. Here are just a few verses that give us an idea of what made David’s relationship with God so special:
Psalm 51:16-17 “For Thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: Thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”
Psalm 37:4 “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
Psalm 16:11 “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: In Thy presence is fullness of joy: At Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.”
Another psalmist states in Psalm 119:35, “Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; For therein do I delight.” So how can our service to God be a “delight” as these psalmists state, rather than a duty? As we see in these verses and many others in Scripture, the Lord wants our love, our hearts. When we are immersing ourselves in Scripture and learning more about Him, we see that He is our example in love. I John 4:10 says, “Herein is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” In verse 19 John goes on to say, “We love Him because He first loved us.”
The key to a deep and loving relationship with our God is for us to know our God! James 4:8 says, “Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you.” As we spend time getting to know our God, our love for him will grow, and as our love grows, so will our eagerness to serve Him!
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