Without love faith is futile; it cannot work because the Bible says in Galatians 5:6: “.. Faith which worketh by love.”

The connection between faith and love is motive. When Faith says, “This is what I want”, Love says, “This is why I want it.” Faith says, “What will I get?” Love says, “Who will benefit from it?” Oftentimes, what God weighs to determine your blessing is the motive behind your desire. So until your motive is clear, your faith remains paralyzed. That is why in 1 Corinthians 13:2 Apostle Paul said, 

“…Though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.“

Your motive determines your motion. If your motive is not right, your journey cannot be safe but when your motive is pure your motion will be fast. Your intention determines the extension of your faith.

Some people believe God for financial prosperity but their motives are wrong. They have great faith for it but God has weighed them in the balance and seen that if such a person is blessed with money, he will not pay his tithes, neither will he be in Church again.

So God says, “Why must I bless him? It is better to have him poor and keep him in Church than to give him money and lose him to the world.” And as such, God blesses him with just enough to encourage and keep him going. But there are others who God blesses lavishly because He knows their motives; He knows they will serve Him with their resources.

Every time you are operating faith, be conscious of your motive. Until you are able to answer the question ‘Why?’ The substance will not be delivered to you.

Love must of a necessity be the motive for exercising faith because, until your motive is clear, your blessings cannot be cleared.

Why do you believe God for a car? Is it so you can be a blessing to your family or so you can show to people that you are superior to them in faith? Your motive must be clear! The reason many preachers are not blessed despite the fact that they preach prosperity is because they are only looking for what to get from people – that is their motive for preaching prosperity.

Some others want to have money so that they can have dozens of suits in their wardrobes. That is why they never get it. Until God certifies your motive, your blessing is never approved.

Every time you are operating faith on the grounds of selfish interests, it does not produce. James 4:3 says:

Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

There is no crime in asking, but why are you asking? Faith is not for robbery! It is not a gamble! You don’t go around claiming somebody else’s property and oppressing him with all manner of requests in the name of “believing God.” And then when the man becomes frustrated and decides to give you the property in order to be free from your pressure, you now say your faith is working. That is not faith! That is nothing but robbery!

Faith will never produce a thing until love is in place. The reason faith was working for Jesus was because He had compassion on the people. And I describe. arapassion as love in action. That means you are not only touched by the plight of someone, you are also moved to do something about it. Being touched by the needs of people is mere sympathy and the best it offers is pity but true compassion will move you to alleviate the sufferings of the people.

Talking of Jesus in Mathew 9:36 the Bible says:

“But when He saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep without shepherd.”

Also, in Mark 8:2-3, He said to his disciples:

“I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away fasting to their houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.”

The disciples answered Him, “Where shall we get bread in this wilderness to satisfy all these men?” But Jesus commanded the people to sit down, He took the few loaves that were available, gave thanks and then gave to His disciples to set before the people. And the Bible says, “They did eat, and were filled…” (Mark 8:7). What multiplied the loaves was not just faith, it was compassion.

One day, a young lady came to me – she had a wound that had refused to heal for some years due to a diabolic attack. There were maggots in the wound, eating up her flesh. When I saw her faith I was moved with compassion. anointed the wound and commanded the devil to be out. About two weeks later, she came back jumping. The wound had dried up, she was completely made whole!

The reason some people will not be blessed is because they want everything for themselves alone. I have always believed that the reason God blesses a man is because of the people around him. Ultimately, the size of your heart determines the volume that God puts in your hand. So when you believe God for something, have a pure motive.

Let It Flow!

Jesus, in His teaching said that the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart but He did not stop there, He went further to say:

“And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self.” Mathew 22: 40

I you truly love God you will love your neighbor. If you can’t love your neighbor, it is a clear indication that you don’t truly love God.

“lf a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is o lar, for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath Hen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.” 1 John 4:20-21

Many Christians no longer count hatred, bitterness and anger as anything serious because Satan tells them, “It does not matter?” Betrayal between husband and wife among many is seen as normal. They forget that the Bible says when there is rancor between a husband and his wife, their prayers are hindered (I Peter 3:7), that means their faith cannot work! It is surprising to see some couples who believe God for the fruit of the womb yet, they are living in strife. No matter the measure of faith you claim to be operating, if you are in strife, your faith is paralyzed, the miracle cannot take place!

You know what made John the Baptist to lose his head? Bitterness! John was a most anointed prophet of God who announced and introduced Jesus as the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. He even baptized Him and was an eyewitness when the voice of God sounded from heaven and said, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” But when bitterness overtook him, he sent his disciples to go and ask Jesus,

“Are you the one to come or shall we look for another?” He was offended in Jesus and even began to doubt his own prophecies. And at the end, he lost his head John 1:32 -36, Luke 7:19-23, Matt. 14:1-12).

Every time you are being tempted with hatred, bitterness and offenate being tempted, Wille down your faith! The archenemies of love are strife, bitterness and selfishness. If you must operate faith successfully, then you must give these no place in your life! You cannot be bitter against a fellow brother and expect faith to work for you. Wherever there is strife, faith cannot thrive. As a matter of fact Jesus said:

“.. If thou bring thy gift to the altar and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” Mathew 5:23-24

It is as serious as that! Some believer’s drop their offerings in Church thinking they are giving to God in faith, but as long as they are in strife and bitterness, they are only throwing away their seed. The ushers may take it and the minister blesses it but God has not accepted it, so it yields no harvest. Apostle Paul said, 

“And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence towards God, and toward men” (Acts 24:16). 

Having a good conscience is something you have to practice consistently. Stop holding grudges against God and against your neighbors!

Consider the story of Isaac in Genesis chapter 26. He was a prosperous man and because the Philistines envied him they drove him away from their midst and even went as far as closing up the wells that his servants dug….

This text is an extract from the book “THE LIFESTYLE OF FAITH” written by David O. Abioye. 
We invite you to read the following article “OBEDIENCE IS SUPERIOR TO PRAYER!“.

LOVE: THE MOTIVE OF FAITH. LOVE: THE MOTIVE OF FAITH.