Motivation

Why do you do what you do?  Whether it is engaging in teaching the Word to your kids, sharing your faith with those with whom you work, your work – why are you doing it?  When things are not going well with sharing your faith, teaching your kids, or your work, when you are not getting the responses you desire or expect, how does that affect you?  It bothers me.

It was bothering me yesterday and through this morning as I was spending some time journaling and thinking through what the Lord has been doing over the past several days.  I found myself frustrated by the lack of progress on some projects.  As I was thinking through this Galatians 1:10 came to mind.  It was like the Lord was tapping me on the shoulder and asking me, “Why again are you doing this?  Is it to gain favor with men?  Or is it because I asked you to do this?”  Kind of let the air out of my frustration.  As a matter of fact that frustration has become an indicator, like an idiot light on the dashboard, that I am focused on the wrong thing, going after the wrong goals.  I heard Larry Crabb say that a blocked goal is the source of frustration, and that Biblical goals cannot be blocked.  I have relearned that lesson over and over.

So when the kids are not responding to your efforts to teach them the Bible, when sharing your faith is not seeming to have any impact, when things are not going well at work, when you are frustrated – for me it helps to remember that my goal is to serve Christ, Colossians 3:17, 23.  Faithfulness is not measured by production but perseverance.