What is your motivation?

You wake up early, you go to bed late. You do the dishes, the laundry and pick up toys without end. You plan meals and make meals and clean up meals and then the cycle begins again. You correct and teach and then you repeat yourself again 5 minutes later. Why do you do what you do? WHY? What is your motivation?

"Whatever you do,

work at it with all your heart,

as working for the LORD, not for men,

since you know

that you will receive an inheritance

from the LORD as a reward.

It is the LORD CHRIST you are serving."

Colossians 3:23-24

Is it the LORD CHRIST you are serving or are you serving your own ego, ambition, reputation? Are you serving to guarantee a particular outcome in the future? Are you trying to impress people or make people like you? What is your motivation behind what you are doing?

I admit, it is hard to have pure motives. We can even deceive ourselves into thinking they are pure when they are not! These verses are an encouragement to me. If my motive is to please others or even to please God, than I have the wrong motivation. I will struggle with discouragement and lack joy with a motivation like that. But if my motivation for working hard is out of love for all that Jesus Christ has done to save me, and I do it out of gratefulness, not because I have to but because I want to..that is key!

The only way to live this kind of life is with a determined focus on remembering the grace of God demonstrated through Jesus and the cross. It is a joyful, thankful life of work. It is a delight, not a duty, and it results in an inheritance and reward as well. Before you do another good deed, check your motive. Are you trying to earn favor with God? Impossible! You have favor with God because of what He's done already and you cannot improve upon it. Do good out of thanksgiving.

Heavenly Father, thank you for all you have done for me. Help me to serve you faithfully out of thankfulness and not out of duty. May I boast only in the cross. Amen.