I read Philemon, that little single chapter postcard book this past week.
Here are some thoughts from Philemon v. 8. "I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love."
There are two motivations for doing things: you can do them because you "have to" or "want to." Sometimes we "have to" do something and that's fine. But the goal isn't just obedience. The goal motivated obedience or joyful obedience. In other words, you don't just do what you should do because you have to do it. You do what you should do because you want to do it.
I believe that the deepest level of transformation isn't intellectual, it's emotional. It's not changing your mind. It's changing your heart. It's getting to the point where you're desires are sanctified and you want what God wants. It's the difference between pulling and pushing. Paul doesn't want to push. He wants to pull. I'm a big believer in leadership that pulls. I don't want to guilt anybody into doing anything. I want to inspire and motivate and encourage. I want them to do it because they want to do it, not because they have to. Because people you do out of duty and not delight usually won't last.
That is what Paul does here. Discipleship often begins as "discipline." You do it because you know you should do it. But ultimately it needs to morph into desire. You do it because you want to do it.
