Motivation

My text is taken from 1 John 4:19 which says, “We love him, because he first loved us.”

My thought today is Motivation.

I am happy today for the privilege afforded me to serve God and to present His cause amid a sin-cursed world. I do not serve Him because I am being forced to do so. I do not serve Him because there is nothing else for me to do. I do not serve Him for worldly gain or for financial gain. However, I do have a motive for serving Him. I serve Him because “He first loved me,” and I have come to love Him more than anything in this world. In short, plain, and simple language, my greatest motivation for doing everything I do for Him, is because I love Him. Allow me to give a personal example. I wrote a song for a wedding of a friend and sung it for them at their wedding. The title is “True Love.” The theme of the song was the message that the perfect love for Christ by each of them, will produce perfection in matrimonial love.

Let us look at the dictionary definition of a few words for clarification before we continue. The dictionary states that the word ‘motivate’ means, “to provide with a motive, or impel” Impel means, “to urge or drive forward, as if by the exertion of strong moral pressure: a force, or to impart motion, to propel, induce, drive, move, or actuate, meaning to set or keep in motion. Move is very general and implies no more than the changing position. Actuating stresses transmission of power to work or set in motion. Driving implies imparting forward and continuous motion and often stresses the effect rather than the impetus. Impel is usually figurative and suggests a great motivating impetus. Inducing is to move by persuasion, influence, or argument, or to call forth or bring about by influence or stimulation.” A ‘motive’ is, “something (such as a need or desire) that causes a person to act, something that incites one to action.”

Motivation then, in God’s work, has two essential elements. The instructor and the pupil. The one who already has experience and the one learning from them. One without the other is an incomplete equation and will not render the same value and results. The instructor must be propelled forward by sound reasons for everything he does regarding his reaching the mind and heart of the pupil, or student. Because of this, the learner is then drawn by a counter motive, induced by his interest in what the instructor is doing, saying, or showing them. The author Zig Zigler once stated, “I believe that man was designed for accomplishment, engineered for success, and endowed with the seeds of greatness.” Considering this statement, (which I agree with one hundred percent), how much greater could a man’s accomplishments be than that of reaching the soul of another for the kingdom of God. This should be the first and foremost motivation that we have.

The needs of the lost soul only God can fulfill. Why is it important to win lost souls? The answer seems to come very clearly to us in a poem called, “The Soul of a Child,” by an unknown author.

The soul of a child is the loveliest flower that grows in the garden of God.

It climbs from weakness to knowledge and power, to the sky from the clay and the clod.

To beauty and sweetness, it grows under care, neglected. ‘Tis ragged and wild.

‘Tis a plant that is tender and wondrously rare, the sweet wistful soul of a child.

Be tender, O Gardner. Give it its share of moisture, of warmth and of light.

And let it not lack for painstaking care to protect it from frost and from blight.

For the day will soon come when the bud will bloom and to the ways of the world be beguiled.

So then draw him to Christ while yet there is time. Win the sensitive soul of the child.

Even though this poem refers to a child, our Heavenly Father looks upon us all as his beloved children, and this therefore applies to us all. We all need the Lord so desperately. If I score no other points in my efforts today in speaking to you, may I hugely impress upon you this fact, that everyone needs the Lord. The young and the old alike, yet we should not wait until we are old to serve him. This is the crowning motive for being involved in any form of ministry in the church, whatever your title or job description might be. The bottom line is for souls to be saved, grow in the Lord, and make heaven their home. The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:14, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Firstly, motive number one is the need for bringing lost souls to know and to follow Christ. Many times, people are placed in various ministry departments of the church because there is just no one else available. True enough, vacancies must be filled in every area for the church to function properly, so as not to have a void in any area; however, the instructor, aka minister, should feel the calling of the Lord upon them to be able to have the unction of the Holy Ghost assist them in their endeavors. What new converts need the most just as babies, children or new born babes in Christ, is teaching. According to scripture, teaching is one of the ministries listed in what we call the ‘Five Fold Ministry’ of the church. We see these in Ephesians 4:11-12, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”

Since this is true, let us go on to see what motive number two is. It should be to fulfill the ‘Will of God’ or the ‘Call of God’ in our lives in ministry. In 1 Corinthians 9:16 Paul stated, “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!”  We as teachers and instructors in righteousness should have the same attitude that we read about here. Remember, there are multiple callings that could be general, and there are specific callings which could be specific in the nature of the calling, or specific to the one being called of the Lord.

In March, in the year 1950, God called me to the ministry. One of my first jobs was teaching a primary class in our Sunday School Department. I was motivated to first reach those children for Christ, then to fulfill a ministerial calling in my life that I considered the Will of God for me personally. Much studying and prayer were needed for both ventures. Personal contact outside of the classroom setting with the children was necessary, which was not easy, because I did not have adequate transportation; however, I did have two good legs and used them extensively, not allowing obstacles to stop me. I was motivated to see these children thrive in their walk with the Lord and hoped to win many of their family members as well. I was also highly motivated because I knew if God had placed a calling on my life to minister, I would need to do everything within my power to do so. If I did the possible, he would see to the impossible.

There were many things I had to consider to accomplish the proper and most desired results. I had to have a good self-image and outlook on life, knowing that I could achieve what God was asking of me, through His power and help. Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” I had to maintain a good relationship with others. The children, their parents, the pastor, the church leaders, especially the Sunday School Department leaders that I was working with, the church saints, as well as everyone I met daily who were not involved with the church. 1 Peter 3:16 says, “Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.”

I had to set goals, such as trying to see the class increase in size, give the children bible scripture memory work so they could grow in the Lord, and see all my kids be filled with the Holy Ghost and be baptized in Jesus Name. I had to maintain the right attitude. I was only 15 years old at the time myself, and so many people thought this might not be possible. But the Spirit of the Lord is what makes this possible, not our own abilities. Hebrews 12:14-15 says, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.” I had to work hard. Remember there is no place in the Kingdom of God for the lazy person. Ecclesiastes 10:18 tells us what happens because of laziness. “By much slothfulness the building decays; and through idleness of the hands the house drops through.” I had to have a fervent desire. This could only be accomplished by careful and diligent cultivation on my part. I had to cultivate a godly character, faith, integrity, loyalty, honesty, and most of all, love. Because Jesus first loved us, I was drawn to Him, and he became my all in all. Romans 5:8 tells us, “But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Many people fail in Sunday School work or ministry that they feel might be beneath them in the church. They are often like the scones my mother baked once and forgot the baking powder. “They squatted to rise but got baked in the squat!” They are not allowing the power of the Holy Ghost to fuel them, impel them, propel them, or motivate them. They have their own agenda, such as wanting to be in the lime light to get recognition, but this is not God’s way; therefore, their efforts fall flat. There is an Old Testament verse that speaks to this attitude in Isaiah 42:8 where God says, “I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” Though this is found in the Old Testament, it will never change, because God is immutable. Malachi 3:6 tells us, “For I am the Lord, I change not…” That is why if ministry is approached and conducted according to the word of God, it will always succeed, just as it did for me as a fifteen year old young teenage boy, who was a new convert himself.

This brings me to the final and third motive that we should have as instructors, teachers, and soul winners. Time is running out! With this knowledge, there should be an urgency to what we do for the Lord. What do firemen do when they receive a call to come to a burning house? They act immediately. They hustle. They get on the ball right away. They are motivated and impelled by the fact that someone could lose everything, and more importantly, someone in that house could die if they do not do their job and do it quickly and efficiently. What do lifeguards do when they see someone who has fallen in the water that cannot swim? They hear the cries for help or see the flailing arms and they jump into action at that very moment. Ephesians 5:15-16 says, “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”  Colossians 4:5 says, “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.”

As in my personal example, if you fail to reach a child who is coming to Sunday School, you may miss the opportunity to win them. Proverbs 22:6 instructs us, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”  No matter the age, if you do not witness to that one at the grocery store, on the playground, at work, in the doctor’s office, or wherever you may be when the opportunity presents itself, the door may shut, and they may not ever find the Lord. Jesus could come today, but if he tarries His coming, let us use all the ‘todays’ that he gives us to get this vast job of soul winning done.

In conclusion, let me say, if the needs of the lost soul, the Will of God and the Call of God on our lives, and the fact that time is running out are not motivation enough, what will be? We must put our shoulders to the wheel and our hands to the sickle and reap the harvest. Jesus said in Matthew 9:37-38, “Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.” We are called to be the laborers.

Mark 4:26-29,35 says, “And he said, so is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knows not how. For the earth brings forth fruit of herself, first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come. Say not ye, there are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, lift your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” His coming is imminent; we should use that urgency to drive us forward into action.

If we do not have the motivation we need to see the lost won, to witness, or to obey the call of God that we are feeling on our lives, we need to kneel at an old fashioned altar and find that desire once again. Find the motivation that will get us up out of bed in the wee hours of the morning to pray for someone God is laying on our hearts. Find the motivation that will urge us to spend those few extra dollars to help a needy family with groceries. Find the motivation that leads us to go out and knock on doors to see the lost souls saved, young or old, rich, poor, black, or white. Jesus is coming soon, ask Him to put that burning motivation and urgency and love in your heart once again.

In closing let us go back to our text in 1 John 4:17-21 which tells us, “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear hath torment. He that is afraid, is not made perfect in love. We love him because he first loved us. If a man says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar: for he, that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also.”  Allow the love of God to be your motivation today!