When you study the word ‘motivate,’ you discover it is rooted in ‘motive.’  Motivate means that there is a motive which incites, impels, moves, prompts, and provokes you to act.

There are many clear pictures of motivation in scripture.  One of the most obvious descriptions of motivation is seen immediately after Jesus’ baptism.  Scripture tells us that Jesus was ‘led,’ ‘driven,’ or ‘sent’ into the desert by God’s Holy Spirit.  The Spirit of God ‘motivated’ Christ to action.

Paul exhorts Timothy to get motivated in 2 Timothy 1:6, saying to “stir up the gift of God” that was within him.  Another translation reads “fan into flame.”  This is an awesome correlation to Jeremiah 20:9 where the prophet talks of how the Word of God was like “a burning fire shut up in his bones.”  There was something so strong inside of Jeremiah that it was motivating him, impelling him, prompting him, provoking him to action!  He could not hold it back!

Paul’s words to Timothy are a challenge for us right now.  We need to get stirred up!  We need to be motivated!  And it is vital that the source of our motivation comes from God’s Spirit and His Word that is within us.

God is challenging us to be motivated from His gift within us.  Too often people are motivated by other sources.  Do you fall into any of the following categories?

Task-driven – going from event to event, schedule to schedule, maintaining a work load to check off items on your list
Portfolio-driven – following an outlined list of responsibilities given to you from leadership
Fear of Man-driven – working diligently in an effort for approval or avoidance of criticism
Self-driven – myopically focused upon doing the tasks you enjoy or desire to do
Accomplishment-driven – appreciating the praise of peers, finding satisfaction in another job successfully done

The examples above all have merits to consider but none of them should be the driving factor or motive which impels us forward in life and ministry.

God is unmistakably and distinctly telling us that His Spirit and Word are to be our motivation.  Let’s stir up the fire within us to do more than get another item scratched off our to-do list.  Let’s live and minister in power, authority, love, and victory through the Word of God and the Spirit of God.

Be motivated!  “I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, keep burning) the gracious gift of God -the inner fire- that is in you.”  AMPLIFIED

-Pastor Gary

Let Us Help You Make Family Memories to Last a Lifetime! Today’s eGift Lesson is the unbelievably easy Thanksgiving Togetherness Paperfold Lesson! Paperfolds are our FB followers’ favorite type of teaching method! This fully illustrated, scripted 5 minute lesson can be done in kids’ church, sanctuary or even comfortably with your family Thanksgiving Day!

Your kids will learn to cherish time with loved ones & grab hold of the most vital part of Thanksgiving togetherness– telling stories of God’s greatness in your lives!

It is Your eGIFT with any download of your choice by Pastor Gary at ChildrensMinistry.org/estore