Love and sincere acts of love are always good. Love can be shown through a single act, a series of acts, or over a life time. It seems that the human heart has a desire to love and to be good. Maybe to prove to ourselves and to others that we are good. Sometimes that might be the motive for love.
The highest motive for love flows from a sincere heart that loves God.
This love flows from an understanding of God. His excellence, His beauty, His goodness, His mercy, His purity, and His holiness.
Someone (maybe Jonathan Edwards) has said, the fear of God is not the fear of being punished by God, but the fear of being away from God. We run toward His beauty. His nature draws us like a magnet. We have an overwhelming desire to be near Him, to take on His nature as much as possible.
Because God’s nature is love, His love can then flow from our hearts. Not to prove anything to ourselves or others. As we seek God, love can flow openly, abundantly, liberally and generously. To God and to our neighbors.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” – John 3:16 – 17.