Strong motivators to flee from sin

It is abundantly clear to me that we need strong motivators to flee from sin because temptation can be so strong, and the things of this world can be so enticing and deceitful. I talk so much to students about these motivators. God has done a mighty work in my heart surrounding this topic, giving me a new perspective and faith of how wonderful it is to flee from sin and idolatry. I thought it would be good for me to process some of these thoughts and write them down.

First and foremost, the far greatest motivator to flee from sin is that God is better. Period. He is infinitely more satisfying and beautiful than anything else, and if sin stands in the way of us seeing God's glory, communing with Him, and attaining the true riches (which I once heard someone define as intimacy with Jesus, anointing for ministry, and being filled with the Holy Spirit) then I am wise to ruthlessly seek to eliminate it. This is a no brainer for me when I am staying right near the Father, and when I am constantly catching a glimpse in my soul of just how beautiful and holy God is. I am filled with a love, fear, and awe for Him that makes sin look detestable.

I could stop right here because that is the number one motivator by far! But there a few other things that help me too.

What is the good life? Who is the truly blessed person?

Something I shared at senior night and that God has ever increasingly been showing me:

One of the most common questions of senior year of college is, "what are you going to do next year and with the rest of your life?" I encouraged the seniors to realize that God is so much more concerned about who we are becoming and the person we truly are in our hearts than about what we do (and authentic, lasting fruit flows from a transformed heart. As Jesus said: "You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.") Because our culture most strongly defines us by what we do, it is easy for us to play (and try to win) the game of life according to the rules of our culture rather than according to the Word of God.