What's Your Motivation?
Motivation is the appetite of human action. It is the craving for experience and achievement, the driving force to pursue the things we desire. Edmund Hillary, one of the famous mountaineers to first climb Everest once said, “It all comes down to motivation. If you really want to do something, you will work hard for it.” Motivation is not only the first step to any action, but with determination it’s what keeps us moving.
Concerning motivation, what drives a person to be a follower of Jesus? If you are a Christian, why? What motivates you to have a relationship with God? Does our motivation to be a Christian really matter?
The Wrong Motivation
Believe it or not, the bible actually talks quite a bit about what motivates us to be followers of Jesus. Jesus Himself illuminated attitudes that, even for good things, are destructive towards the human heart.
Consider this scenario found in John 6. You are one of the five thousand who has seen a man miraculously heal the sick and feed the multitude with fives loaves of bread and two fish. You’ve never seen anything like this and so you choose to follow that man and take advantage of all the things he can do for you. This was the attitude of the people found in John 6:24-25. Jesus knew their hearts and knew what their motivation was to follow Him and so He said to them:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” - (John 6:26-27).
The motivation of this multitude was to be given free food. They had not considered the signs that Jesus was the Messiah, but desired only the blessings that He could give them.
Desiring Blessings, More Than God Himself
We know why the multitude followed Jesus, but why do we follow Him? Certainly we enter our relationship with God seeking salvation, the ultimate gift of love and grace but what motivates us to continue in our Christian walk? Is it because God will take care of you and rain blessings on you? Is it because you’d rather go to heaven than hell? Is your love for God fueled by His blessings or is your love for God fueled by your desire to know Him?
Paul said in Philippians 3:8, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” Paul’s motivation to throw out worldly living and be clothed in righteousness was not to receive blessings but because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. Paul wanted to know Christ and become more like Christ because He knew just how great He is. It wasn’t the blessings that Paul desired. He desired Jesus knowing that He is awesome and worthy and that righteousness, holiness, and love emanate from His being. Paul praised God because He is God and his desire was God regardless of his circumstances.
Get Motivated!
Paul’s motivation increased through his life as he got closer and closer to God. Let us study our bibles, reaching and cherishing always for the surpassing worth of the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
In Christ,
Zack