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Motivation………what is the meaning of the word? The Merriam Webster online dictionary defines it thus: the act or process of giving someone a reason for doing something; the condition of being eager to act or work; or a force or influence that causes someone to do something. Motivation is a term that refers to a process that elicits, controls, and sustains certain behaviors. (Wikipedia)
What motivates you? What is it that makes you do the things you do? Psalms 86:5 from the New Living Translation says “O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.” In that same chapter, in verse 11 we read “Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.”
A process that elicits, controls and sustains behaviors... As I have grown in my relationship with Jesus Christ, I have come to realize that the love of Jesus Christ is, in and of itself, THE great motivator for all who claim His Name. When I consider all He has done for me, not just His death on the cross, but the daily miracles and blessings He places in my path then I am motivated to share that with all who will listen.
At times, I have allowed myself to fall back and question the motivation He shelters in my heart. I struggled with that for years. Recently, my pastor was teaching on spiritual gifts and how we can discover the gifts God has placed within us. Since becoming a Christian at age 11, I had believed my gifts to work from the end of the spectrum that included leadership and administration.
I took the test handed out and discovered my true gifts are wholly different than what I had believed them to be. As I studied the Word and prayed over that discovery, the Lord began to open doors of service for me that I once had no idea existed. I started to see needs in people I met and felt the urging of the Holy Spirit to meet those needs. Hearing the ‘voice’ of the Lord as I went from here to there, I realized that I had become motivated in a refreshing way.
Do you know what your spiritual gifts are? Have you spent real time praying about them and asking the Lord to reveal Himself to you through your gifts? If not, I must tell you that you will understand the concept of motivation from a fresh viewpoint once you allow Him to do so.
Spiritual gifts are discussed in various places in Scripture, Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4 are the most prominent. Study the Scriptures, pray over them with an open heart to hear from the Lord and find your place in His service. I discovered my own place as I learned that I am made by God to work best in these areas: giving, exhortation, mercy, faith and hospitality. If you have access to the internet, this link has been valuable to me in my journey of discovery: http://mintools.com/
As you open your heart to His Word and discover your place in His service, you will reach a degree of CONNECTION with Him you once only dreamed could exist; not only between you and God, but between you and those around you whom you open yourself to.
That is the purpose of our journey here…..CONNECTING on an ever deeper level with our Savior so that we can CONNECT and demonstrate His love to those who so desperately seek Him, often even when they don’t realize they are seeking Him.
