Motivation
“Motivation” by definition means movement: movement that would not happen without a cause. A cause and effect relationship is inherent--no cause, no movement.
A command may be the motivation. “Harold, mow the lawn grass,” mom might have said. I became motivated to do a task that otherwise would not have been accomplished. “Harold, go to the store and purchase ice cream.” My motivation would be less “mom said” than focusing on eating ice cream.
A person who cannot sing may be highly motivated to sing but not have the vocal cords. However, a person with excellent vocal cords may not sing because of lack of motivation.
Motivation may also be coerced or free will. In either case a person decides whether to act or not to act. Driving on a one-lane country road Laila and I came upon a skunk in the right of way. We decided to stop the car and patiently wait while the little creature ambled along oblivious to us—“Thank God!”
My heart is often saddened when I witness lack of positive motivation. I regularly pass a building that is vacant. Folks responsible for the building decided what they were doing was unfruitful and of insufficient value to keep opening the doors. They closed their church. The word is that in a year or two they will again open the church doors and explore if there is any hope for a viable congregation.
A church die? How could it happen? The answer is simple: lack of motivation. Churches do not just die. Church congregations cease to exist because they lose their purpose. They place value on the wrong things. Selfishness creeps in. Love for Christ and His Church is lost. They lose sight of their mission: lost souls headed for hell. Church becomes a place of self-service.
Lack of healthy motivation is a terrible thing. People who lose purpose and reason for existence tend to become physically and mentally ill. When they trade Godly values for selfishness, Mr. Sin comes knocking on the door, and he brings with him any number of demons. Mr. Sin finds a heart without motivation an excellent place to set up housekeeping and foment rebellion against God and anything good.
A person whose heart becomes the seat of selfish sin is motivated in time by things he/she hates. People may even say they hate what they do, but what they do is their passion.
But suppose your heart is toward God--for the things God is for. Suppose you have asked Christ to be Lord of your life; you believe there is a heaven and a hell and every person/soul will go to one of these places; you believe that Jesus is the only hope of salvation and that Christ died for our sins; it is God’s will that not one person be lost.
We are talking about motivation -- passion--about a church with holy fire. We are talking about the Holy Spirit burning within our hearts, compelling/motivating us to go or send the Good News that Jesus saves! We are living witnesses of Christ’s love. We never forget that we have been redeemed from sin! Motivation!
My friend, what moves you? What is in your heart? Why did God create you? Are you fulfilling the purpose for which you were created? Is your life fulfilled and full of joy and peace in Christ? Does your heart love what Christ loves?
No church will ever die if the people who lead it are motivated by the love of God.
No life can be empty when filled with gratitude to God for salvation.
Maybe today is a good day to think about why you do what you do. Think about what motivates you. Correct what needs to be corrected until Christ is front and center in your life. Motivation.
Pastor Bare
Deuteronomy 6:5