Spirituality Vs Obligation as Motivations

When we are in Christ we move from the worldly view of doing things out of obligation to doing them out of love, a desire to please God. If we remain in obligation all our lives we cannot possibly have love and intimacy with God or anyone.

 
Love and intimacy come from knowing someone on a deeper level, to be able to do this we must be more interested in how they think than we are in dominating them or doing things for them to elevate ourselves.

 
John 13:34
"34 I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another."

The fruit of the Spirit of one who is filled with the Spirit of God:

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness and Self Control.

The fruit of the narcissist:

Arrogance, Entitlement, Envy, Exploitiveness, Lack of Awareness, Blame Shifting, Grandiosity, Self Importance, Addiction to Praise, Honor and Admiration.

These are the ways we can know if someone is born-again or not. A child of God will have all the fruit of the Spirit of God as a lifestyle.

The narcissist will display all the traits of self-importance as a lifestyle.

The born-again believer may slip but is ashamed and confesses to be cleansed. 1 John 1:9

The narcissist never admits their flaws and punishes anyone who will point them out to help them repent.

Proverbs 28:13-14 "13 He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy. 14 Blessed is the man who is always reverent, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble."

Do it all as Unto the Lord

Colossians 3:23-24 "23 Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men, 24 because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving"

Ephesians 6:7
"Serve with good will, as to the Lord and not to men,"

Colossians 3:17
"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."

Matthew 6:16
"Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward."

Their Hidden Addiction to Narcissistic Supply

Obeying God in Rebuke

The reason we use different styles of rebuke for different people is that we are basing the correction on their attitude.

If they are stubborn and proud they need a stronger rebuke. Those who are weak and not resistant need to have more tenderness.

2 Timothy 4:2-4 "2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires.…"

When we love people we are more concerned about their spiritual health than we are about anything else.

How to Rebuke - Everything You Need to Know