MOTIVATION

by Marsha Burns

Motive – something such as a need or desire that causes a person to act.
Motivate – to urge or drive forward.
Motivation – incentive or drive.
Motivation can be rooted in the basic need to minimize pain and maximize pleasure.
It can also be rooted in our need to know God, our creator.

Basically, we’re looking at what causes us to act; what keeps us going?
And, our motivation changes with eternal perspective. What goals we had before Christ seem pretty vain and empty when we understand eternity and God’s purpose for us.

Ecclesiastes 2:
1 I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure"; but surely, this also was vanity.
2 I said of laughter—"Madness!"; and of mirth, "What does it accomplish?"
3 I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.
4 I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards.
5 I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.
6 I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove.
7 I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me.
8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds.
9 So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.
10 Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.

Proverbs 16:26 The person who labors, labors for himself, for his hungry mouth drives him on.

Solomon’s motivation was to figure out how to make life work according to the flesh.
At the end of his searching and seeking through trial and error, it is written in:

Ecclesiastes 12:
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.
14 For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.

We too have tasted of life in the flesh only to find what Solomon found.
But, now our motivation is to use all of the tools available to make life work according to the Word of God.

We want to know God personally and intimately. We want to make it to the end and say with Paul:

2 Timothy 4:
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

And, we want the race to be as painless as possible, both naturally and spiritually.
God’s word certainly shows us the way to run.

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

What things?

Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

Basic necessities. And, the scripture says not to worry about it; He will provide IF we get our priorities in order.

We know the motivating factors for a natural life – food, water, clothing, shelter, safety, and love (among other things).

The motivating factor in spiritual life is to know God, to be known by Him, and to know and define ourselves through Him.

So, where have we been in the past weeks?

The Lord has been motivating us in the exercise of awareness to discover and discern areas of vulnerability so that we can navigate the enemy’s minefield without harm.

Our flesh, the natural man, our carnal nature stops our ability to see spiritually or to discern by the Spirit. When our carnal nature is in control all we see is ourselves. We are in process of developing precise discernment.

It has truly been an inside job as we endeavor to quiet our natural needs, desires and motivations so that we can progress spiritually.

He has specifically challenged us to fight against a lying spirit and stand in the truth of His Word in order to maintain our spiritual authority.

The exercise of awareness has extended to our thoughts as we are learning to pay attention to our inside chatter. We are what we think.

Proverbs 23:7 as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.

We must control our self-talk or thoughts so that they don’t degenerate and cause us to get stuck in unbelief, fear, doubt, and negativity.

Our thoughts position us to receive God’s promises and gain the victory or go down in defeat.

2 Corinthians 10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

Faith is established when our inner chatter reaffirms the truth of the Word instead of allowing fear to cause us to entertain unbelief.

1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

We have to do these things inwardly, to learn self-control, before we can be effective in the Spirit to do the outward things:

Matthew 28:
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

Mark 16:
15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
17 "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
18 "they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

Faith Tabernacle

http://ft111.com