Are We Motivated By Faith To Act In Love, Even When It Involves Risk?

Good Morning Friends,

We often put too much weight on numbers—what we’ve done, what others haven’t done—when the real focus of the Christian life is love, the Spirit, and what God has done for us. Counting our good deeds or the failures of others can lead us to misjudge God and make false assumptions. The question before us is simple: Are We Motivated By Faith To Act In Love, Even When It Involves Risk?

Scripture: 2 Samuel 24:2, 9–17, Mark 6:1–6, John 1:45–46, John 3:16

Message:Yes, discernment matters, and yes, we must count the cost. But faith always requires stepping out beyond what feels safe. That’s one reason I care so deeply about places like Immokalee—communities often dismissed the way Nazareth was. People judge by numbers, by reputation, by assumptions. But Scripture reminds us that prejudice isn’t only external; it grows whenever we take our eyes off God. Censuses in Scripture—David’s or Augustus’s—were tools of control, not relationship. Today we still trust numbers more than God’s power. When David relied on military strength instead of God, judgment followed. When Nazareth dismissed Jesus, unbelief stifled miracles. Numbers alone cannot tell the truth about a person or a place. Real knowledge comes through relationships. Why did Nazareth reject Jesus? Maybe familiarity bred contempt. Maybe they questioned His background or cling too tightly to their expectations of the Messiah. Whatever the reason, their unbelief closed their hearts. Yet Jesus still healed some. Faith always leaves room for hope. Miracles—then and now—are not just events but interpretations. If we don’t believe Jesus can heal, we won’t recognize His work even when it happens. But the One who changes everything is still at work among us. Jesus calls us to live victoriously, bear the fruit of the Spirit, and see through the eyes of love.

And So, our motivation must begin with a living connection to God. Jesus is worthy whether we come with confidence or with doubt. Love—sometimes gentle, sometimes tough—is the Christian’s true motivator. Doubt is not the opposite of faith; unbelief is. Those who wrestle with God are already on the path of growth. Even John the Baptist and Peter had doubts. Faith grows through struggle.If we hope to lead well, we must cultivate character, focus, courage, and above all, a love that glorifies God—even when the numbers don’t look promising.

Pray that we trust God more deeply. Pray for a love that casts out fear. Pray that we release control and allow the Spirit to work. Pray for restored relationships with God and others. Pray that we rely on God’s strength, not our own. Pray that we welcome Jesus into our homes and communities. Pray that our eyes stay fixed on Him and our motivation is His glory. Pray that we proclaim good news, heal the brokenhearted, free the oppressed, comfort the mourning, and see beauty in the rejected. Pray that we connect the hurting to the joy of Jesus. Pray that we learn to praise God in all things and rest in Christ’s acceptance. Pray that we desire to please God because Jesus loves us.

Blessings,

John Lawson