Devotional - 99-04-30 - Motivation

Affirmations. We all enjoy getting them. It's nice to hear "I'm very proud of you" from a loved one, "you are doing a great job" from our boss, "excellent work" from a teacher. But these should be results of what we do, not reasons! Too often when we give our best to something, and no one thanks us, we feel like giving up; we want to "throw in the towel." We feel unappreciated. We get discouraged and think "well why should I even bother doing this if no one cares? No one appreciates what I am doing." That's a normal reaction, but we need to remember that we should be doing what we do for God, not for the praise of other people.

1 Cor 10:31 (NNAS) Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

It says "do all to the glory of God," not "do all so that people will thank me." Imagine what would have happened if Moses had been motivated by pleasing his flock of Israelites. Did they say "Oh Moses thank you so much for bringing us through the Red Sea!" "We appreciate your leadership and your intercession for us!" Hardly!

Exo 16:2-3 (NNAS) The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The sons of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the LORD'S hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

But Moses was not in it for the kudos or acclaim. Moses was intent on being obedient to God; his motivation was pleasing God.

I urge you, along with myself, to ask God to help us examine our motives, and to purify our motives for us. May we remember that what we do, we should do for HIM. Any praise or appreciation should be "the icing on the cake."

Jan

jan@cfdevotionals.org
http://www.cfdevotionals.org