Your Daily Devotional for December 3, 2006

 

December 3, 2006

 

 

What Motivates You?

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

 

“And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart.”

 

Deuteronomy 6:5-6

 

On December 16, 1944, eighteen members of a scouting platoon held off a battalion of German storm troopers in the Belgian hamlet of Lanzerath. Few history books note that their gallant stand gave Allied forces time to begin mounting the defense that eventually won the famous Battle of the Bulge.

One of the platoon members was Will James, who after the war slipped into oblivion for nearly four decades. During that time he underwent numerous painful surgeries as a result of his war wounds. Not until 1981, through the efforts of U.S. House Speaker Thomas P. O'Neill and columnist Jack Anderson, was he awarded, posthumously, the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism. Even though he never knew he would be honored, Mr. James risked his life because he loved his country.

These soldiers never stopped to figure out what they would be rewarded if they obeyed their leaders. They didn’t wait for someone to offer them a reward before they did their job. They simply obeyed and served out of a love for their country.

 

Have you ever asked someone to do something but they wanted to know what they were going to get out of it before they helped you? A lot of people want to know the reward before they will agree to do something. The men that stood off the German soldiers did not know they were going to be rewarded for their efforts. They did not foresee honor and recognition for such acts. All they knew was that they were to do what their commanding officer told them and that was to fight. They needed no other motivation. They needed no other incentive for fighting on. They only wanted to serve their country.

 

Why do you serve God? Why do you teach, sing, clean, or witness? What is your motivating factor behind serving God? God has been good to us and will reward us for trusting in Him and serving Him. But these rewards should not be our motivation for serving Christ!

 

Maybe the rewards are not your motivation. Maybe you serve Christ because others will notice. Maybe you serve because if you do not, someone will be upset with you. Friend, why you serve God is just as important, if not more important as whether you serve Him or not! God is looking at your heart as well as your service! 

 

Our motivation to serve Christ should be because we love Him. Second Corinthians 5:4 says, “For the love of Christ constraineth us.” The love of Christ should cause us to want to serve Him more. When our hearts are pure and we serve Him because we love Him, our service will mean more to Christ.

 

Maybe you haven’t been serving at all, and it’s time for you to step out and serve God out of a heart of love. As you serve Christ, take a moment to consider why you do it. Is your service an expression of your love for Him, or are you looking for some reward or recognition? Do you serve merely for social praise? What is motivating you today? Evaluate why you are serving God, and determine today to serve Him from a heart of love.

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