What would you say is the biggest common denominator?
Pride or love or fear?
That is a great question.
The problem with trying to answer, in my opinion, is knowing or understanding the meanings of these 3 words.
If we "SEEK" to understand and let God's Word define them, how He intends these words to be defined, that is a good and worthwhile "work" IMO.
If we don't, then we are left with many human understandings and definitions and will talk in circles achieving nothing.
I have sought to understand God's (Word which became Flesh) definition of these words. In this endeavor I have discovered a couple of things. God knows more that me. God's ways are perfect, my ways are not. God's Words are "FOR ME" not against me.
So I trust Him and His Words, including His definition. Here is the quick version of what I found.
Pride = Refusal to be corrected.
Love= Honor and Respect.
Fear= Conscience understanding of life and death and who gives it and takes it away.
I believe Love for God is the beginning. When we make up our mind that His Ways are better than ours. That His Word's are truer than ours. When we give up on our own righteousness, and our own logic, and honor and respect Him enough to obey Him even when we don't understand the Command, like Abraham did. That is Love as defined by God's Word.
It has been my experience that when we do this, when we "Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God and HIS Righteousness" and
accept what we find even if the religious world around us don't, that is when our journey or "race" starts.
Without this "Love", we will be ruled by Pride and there will be no "Fear" before our eyes.
The Word which became Flesh tells us:
Jer. 17:
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and
desperately wicked: who can know it?
10 I the LORD
search the heart,
I try the reins, even to give every man
according to his ways,
and according to the fruit of his doings.
This is truth for all of us, but many don't really believe the Word which became Flesh. They choose instead the religious doctrines and traditions of the land. The first human we deceive is our self.
I believe "Love" as God defines it, is the answer.