why?

Motivation is everything. Without motivation, things become a task, a chore, something we must do instead of something we want to do. Without motivation, the flame of passion can dwindle to a mere flicker that the smallest amount of doubt can quickly extinguish. Yet motivation for the sake of motivation is not enough. It must be true motivation, pure motivation, for wrong motivation, the kind that springs from a love of self, is even more deadly and damaging than no motivation at all. What is your motivation? Where does it spring from? From where does your motivation come from as a student… as a son or daughter… as a husband or wife, mom or dad… as an employee… as a friend… as someone who is involved in ministry… as a Christian? You know, as I think about it, even people who claim they lack motivation are still motivated… they are simply motivated by the selfish desire for inactivity, laziness, and passivity. Everyone has motivation… the question is, what is yours? Paul turns on a few lights for us regarding the question of motivation. In his first letter to the Christians in Thessalonica he writes “… our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know. And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money! As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or anyone else.” (2:4-6) Obviously, Paul’s motivation for his ministry was being called into question. Some thought Paul’s motivation was personal glory, that his goal in ministry was for people to tell him how amazing he was. Others thought his motivation was financial gain, that he befriend the people with the deep pockets just so his pockets might be more sufficiently lined. Yet Paul was clear, his actions were not done so he might be declared as great and mighty, he ministry was not about his own financial well-being. He was motivated by one thing and one thing alone… the pleasure of God. Any other motivation is simply selfish. No matter how noble the motivation may seem on the outside, God knows the true motivation within our hearts and is not fooled by the false pretenses that we so creatively erect. What is your motivation? What is it that fuels the flame of your passion? If you are invovled in something simply for the "thank you" or the pat on the back or so youc an check off the box that says "Christian Servant" on your "I wanna be a good Christian" checklist, then your motivation is off. True motivation when it comes to this ministry or any other aspect of your life is about one thing and one thing only: the pleasure of God. If God’s pleasure is the true motivation that fuels the passion within your heart then things cease to become about the checklist and begin to be about joy. They cease to be a duty and begin to be an act of love. If God’s pleasure is your true motivation then when you commit to something, you commit with everything that you have and everything that you are. Yet if God’s pleasure isn’t your true motivation, if your reasons have to do with anything else besides God, they are ultimately selfish. Acts of love and service become a burden. Speaking the truth in love becomes an annoying waste of time. Engaging people in genuine community becomes uncomfortable and feels forced. Discipling begins to be something you used to do when you had more free time. What is your motivation? It is far more honorable to be genuine and true to yourself than it is to be fake and simply a pretender. If you find that your motivation is not true, maybe its time to take a step break and rekindle a true, pure motivation. And if your motivation is right and true and pure, then jump in, with everything you have and everything that you are… not for the praise of man but for the pleasure of God!