Motivation

Why does the Christian serve?  What is the engine behind their service?

In Spiritual Depression, Martin Lloyd-Jones writes a chapter about people growing weary in well-doing.  He examines why this happens, and what some potential causes might be.  One of those causes really struck me.  He talked about how people can sometimes grow weary because they have never had the right motivation.

He addressed it from the angle of excitement.  Do Christians serve because of the excitement of it?  I know I have been guilty of this at times.  Why is it that I am fine serving in certain ways but hate the thought of serving in others?  It is because the excitement motivates my service.

For me, attention is more often my engine.  I want to serve to be noticed.  Put me on stage, or at least near it.  Let others see my godliness that they may praise me (rather than my Father in Heaven).  I will serve so long as the attention is close and often.  Put me behind the scenes and I will try to make sure that others know.

What is your engine?  Why do you serve?  What would cause you to stop serving?

Let us turn to the true engine, the Gospel of free grace.  Jesus Christ died for our sins.  He took them upon himself and bore our transgressions.  We have been redeemed, bought out of our slavery to sin and captivity to death.  We have been given life!  We have been reconciled to the Living God!  These truths must permeate our souls.  The Spirit must teach them to our hearts.  The Gospel must be the engine.  It is firm and stable.  It does not change or alter.  It remains.  It is everlasting and unchanging.  It is truth, firm truth that does not move, but lasts.  If this is the engine for our service, we will serve after the spotlight fades, when times are difficult.  We will serve for our God, and his joy.  We will serve from a heart motivated by the Gospel for the glory of the God who has given us this Gospel.