The Great Motivation

So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her. -Gen. 29:20

Jacob went through some crazy stuff to get Rachel. He worked 7 years hard labor to marry her. Then, Laban pulled a fast one, secretly giving Leah to Jacob on his wedding night, instead of Rachel. Adding insult to injury, Laban shamelessly offered Rachel to Jacob for 7 more years of labor. Surprisingly, Jacob accepted the offer from his good-for-nothing uncle.

What would drive a man to work for 14 years under such undesirable conditions? The one word answer is love. Only love could make someone endure such incredible mistreatment and undeserved hardship. Love makes people do outrageous things for others—whatever the cost. It's the most powerful motivation in human relationships.

But, love doesn't stop there. Love is the greatest motivation in our relationship with God, too. It's the only thing powerful enough to drive us to lifelong service of God. Plus, only love could motivate us to endure mistreatment and undeserved hardship for following Christ. This whatever-the-cost type of following is unsustainable unless we love God. That's why Jesus argues the "great and foremost commandment" is "You shall love the LORD your GOD with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Mt. 22: 37-38).