Why It’s Not “Better” To Give
I often hear the misquote: “It is better to give than to receive.”
Paul relays this maxim from Jesus in Acts 20:35.
The error? Jesus did not say “It is better…” Rather, he said, “It is more blessed…”
Motivation
O Bless Me Now, My Savior
Does God want us to be motivated by his rewards?
For a very long time people have been singing of their great reward. And not only Americans.
The Hebrew book of worship, the Psalms, is prefaced by the following:
Blessed is the man
who walks not
In the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stands in the way of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
That yields its fruit in its season,
And its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
-Ps 1:1-3
Here are 50 of my favorite lines of blessing in the hymns.
Why Be Moral?
When you ask “why be moral?” your answer needs to be more than, “Because it’s the right thing to do.” That is circular. What makes something the right thing? What goal does a man achieve by doing right?
Some answer that, “Virtue is it’s own reward.” Others answer that “Morality benefits others, and that is what really matters.”
But what motivation does Scripture offer? Your life. Your reward.
The Importance of Reversing John Piper’s Maxim
Can John Piper’s famous maxim be reversed?
Piper said the chief end of man is “to glorify God by enjoying him forever.”
But what if we said the chief end of man is “enjoy God by glorifying him forever”?
These statements have different meanings. Let me show how they are both true. Piper’s version speaks of God’s purposes for us. God made us so that we could enjoy him and thus bring him glory. There is a means and an end.
Why Rational Self-Interest?
Christians often denounce “selfishness,” but the Bible shows rational self-interest as our main reason to follow God. Whether we look to the Old or New Testament, to believers, or to the God whom they serve, we see self-interest. We should check our understanding of the concept of “self-interest.” Those who denounce self-interest say we should follow Jesus because of who he is, but not because of what he can do for us. Is that what the Bible says?
God the Father is self-interested:
Psalm 115:3
He does all that he pleases.