09 17 07 Motive

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
(1 Corinthians 15:58 NKJV)

As we go through life, each of us is motivated by some one or some thing to do the things we do. We go to work to care for our family. We eat to satisfy a hunger (or a craving!). We exercise to keep healthy or even improve our health. We rest properly to be able to carry out our basic duties. These are things we do for the basic necessities of life. Everyone does them. But what are our real motives; the deep set inspiration, that drives us harder, faster, without sleep at times, and despite hardship? What makes us do the extraordinary?

Paul is encouraging the Corinthians that since we have victory in Christ through His resurrection, we can and should be motivated to keep pushing despite the obstacles we face. Check out the following translations:

Do not be moved! (NET Bible)
With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don't hold back. (The Message Bible)
…be strong and steady, always enthusiastic… (New Living Translation)

Yes, as Christians we face stumbling blocks which are capable of knocking us off our feet. We face unexpected challenges, sometimes every day it seems, which may tempt us to withdraw and even run and hide. We’ll even face bouts of depression and disappointment, causing us to battle to remain joyous and enthusiastic about serving Christ and completing His will for us. But we must press on; we must STAND! Our prime MOTIVE is not to be happy, healthy, rich, satisfied, or even popular. Our number one MOTIVE is to please our Savior and carry out His task for us this day, this very minute!

I don’t know if it’s ever easy! But we have already won the battle, IF we allow the Lord to fight for us and with us. It is His battle after all, not ours. He will continue the perfecting work in and through us until the Day He returns. Our job is to simply give Him complete control. Our labor is not worthless if we’re working to please Christ. It may be hard, thankless, and even seem fruitless, but never worthless or in vain! We may not really see the victory until we reach glory, but nevertheless, we must be steadfast and unmovable, seeking to please God alone. This is our goal, our only MOTIVE!