What motivates you?
No, I’m seriously asking…What motivates you? What drives you in life and compels you to keep going? What keeps you putting one foot in front of the other day after day? What is it that propels you to do your best?
One of my biggest struggles is my aim to please.
Yes, I want to please God, but unfortunately, I often slip up and want to please man more. I want to make my parents proud. I like the pats of approval. I welcome words of affirmation and praise…and facebook likes, retweets and shares. It is often these bits and pieces of encouragement that keep me going. But I’m going to let the secret out—it can also be such a snare.
When I take my eyes off the target [God], I can rather easily make an idol out of self-praise.
Our driver in life should never be about who we are or what we do…but more importantly, whose we are. We are His. His workmanship. His creation. His child. His beloved. And so much more. Therefore, WHATEVER we do or who we are or what we know does not define us. God’s value system defies an earthly value system. Bus drivers are worth as much as CEO’s and custodians as much as professional baseball players.
In God’s eyes, everyone has value and worth.
Furthermore, to get us off our high horse, God may ask you to do WHATEVER. He may ask you to become the hands and feet of Christ, to go incognito, and to humbly serve. WHATEVER may look like going out of your way to show kindness. WHATEVER may mean going unnoticed and getting absolutely nothing in return. WHATEVER might not be easy or fun. In fact, WHATEVER could be costly. WHATEVER most likely will be the road less traveled and your dearest friends may not want to go with you.
WHATEVER may be a lonely.
WHATEVER, whatever is for you, will you do it? Will you go? Will you be adventurous, taking the risk and answering the call? Not in it for the personal glory. No paybacks or sticky fingers.
Pure obedience means doing WHATEVER. C’mon, let’s go…
In a well-furnished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but waste cans and compost buckets – some containers used to serve fine meals, others to take out the garbage. Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing.” 2 Timothy 2:20-21