So, on this very day, right now as you are reading this column, how would you answer this question: What really motivates you?
I suppose you would first have to know, in response to what? Am I motivated to wash the dishes? Not really. Am I motivated to clean the garage? Not exactly. Am I motivated to clean the clothes out of my closet? No, but the guy from Goodwill would like for us to. Am I motivated to live? I trust your answer is yes.
What motivates me to live? I am reminded of attending a one-day motivation seminar a few years ago at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
All day long there were speakers such as Zig Ziglar, Dr. Robert Schuller, Gen. Colin Powell, coach Tony Dungy, Phil Town, Peyton Manning and others who attempted to motivate us.
And they did.
Some talked about finances and how to make money, some talked about the spiritual aspect of life, and some talked about overcoming life’s difficulties and perseverance.
The word, motivate, means “that which incites to action — causing movement or motion.”
So then, if we are motivated to wash the dishes, clean the garage, clean out the clothes in our closet, etc., then we will see some movement and action.
If indeed we are motivated to live, then we will see some action and movement.
The word of God tells us that the only way to live is to live a life in and through Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us that Jesus instructed, “I am the way, the truth and the life.”
For us to experience real life, we must be motivated to first give Jesus Christ our heart and life. We must take action and move toward that end.
When we become a child of God and give our heart and life to him, we must continually work on staying motivated and turning our life into movement and action for him and building his great Kingdom.
In the “Maxwell Leadership Bible,” Dr. John Maxwell talks about the mission and vision of a leader and says, “Leaders must give their lives to causes that count.
They must sense that what they do matters to God. Only then will they feel deep satisfaction for their work.”
Isaiah speaks some incredible words (Isaiah 49:1-3) about the Messiah’s mission as a leader:
1. He was called from His mother’s womb (v.1).
2. He was gifted with specific resources (v.2).
3. He was protected supernaturally by God (v.2).
4. He was given a particular divine mission (v.2).
5. He was ordained to reflect God’s glory (v.3).
Maxwell goes on to say, “While any leader might well covet these descriptions, only in the life of the Messiah, God’s servant sent from heaven to redeem earth, were they perfectly fulfilled. Yet they serve as a model for us as we pursue our God-given mission and vision.”
As Christians, we must be motivated to pursue our God-given mission and vision. If we are not careful, this world has a way of warping and putting a damper on our mission and vision, and we begin to lose our motivation.
We have to strive and work hard every day to stay excited, enthusiastic and motivated. Our goal is to stay motivated by the only thing that will make all the difference in the world for time and eternity, and that is our relationship with Jesus Christ and how we can please and serve him more.
Be motivated in God today!
The Rev. Phil Edwards is senior pastor of Fortville Church of the Nazarene. This column is written by local clergy members.
