For the Joy Set Before Him
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV)
The best example of motivation can be found in Jesus.
As the verse above states, it was the joy set before Him that motivated Jesus to endure the cross.
We’re talking about the One who existed before Abraham was, the One who was seated at the right hand of the Father, who is eternal in His very makeup. And yet He was motivated to redeem a lost humanity. That motivation was so strong, He carried a cross on His back and was planted between two thieves on a skull-shaped hill. And when He could have, with one thought, made those who were executing Him drop dead on the spot, instead Jesus was so motivated to make sure that you and I could receive the gift of salvation that He died in order that we could live. He suffered so that we could celebrate.
The prophet Isaiah declared, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”
I don't know what motivates you, but can I suggest to you that the best motivation is to surrender your life to Jesus? And I'm not just talking about salvation. I'm talking about consecration and sanctification and trust and confidence. The Bible teaches that He will transform you by the renewing of your mind. He'll conform you to His holy image.
Imitate Jesus. Walk just like Him. Minister just like Him. Pray just like Him. Witness just like Him. If you learn to let your motivations be stirred by following Jesus, He'll make sure that you are shaped to be the person He originally imagined you to be.
Freedom in Surrender
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
James 4:7 (NKJV)
God wants you to become so much more than you currently are. He has great plans for you. But when it comes to making spiritual progress, the decision has to be one of surrender.
It cannot be forced upon you, because the Lord wants you to yield, not break. He wants you to surrender. Sometimes life's circumstances will hit hard to bring about that surrender, but it’s necessary in order for us to move forward.
William Booth, who founded the Salvation Army, said, “The greatness of a person's power is the measure of his or her surrender.” Surrender is the ultimate act of power. You are living at your strongest not when you are conquering things in life, but when you are surrendering to the lordship of Jesus Christ in your life.
It's like that certain animal trap where if the trapped animal would simply back up a little, the trapping device would relax and the animal would be able to escape. That's the shape of our lives. If we would just learn how to let go of our lives, we would find the freedom and the blessing and the liberation that we are in search of. If we would give up the rights and responsibility and control of our lives and turn them over as an offering of surrender to Jesus, we can become precisely the people God intends for us to be.
Surrender is the first step.
Look for the Incidental Things
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15-16 (NKJV)
The Lord is not just working in the essential and the crucial areas of your life, but is also working in the areas of your life that are incidental.
There are so many things that are crucial and essential in our lives. For example, my primary education was essential for sure—reading, writing, math—but it was the soft elective of music that introduced me to the man who would then introduce me to Christ. The result would be the trajectory that led me to ministry, which became both my passion and my profession. History, science, and language were essential courses for me to take, but the incidental addition of choir being on my class schedule became the catalyst for my yielding eventually to the call of God on my life.
Some of the most significant aspects of our lives begin with the incidental, the things that happen en route to a place, the discoveries that change your life while searching for something else.
Don't just look for God in the essential areas of your life. Don't just look for God in the crucial areas of your life. Don't just look for God in the necessary areas of your life. But look for God also in the incidental exposures and encounters and exchanges in your life. The impact from these areas can inspire others, change the landscape, bring glory to God, bless lives, and extend the witness of Jesus.
God puts blessing and power and resources in these incidental things that are happening to and around you every day. And here is my strong encouragement: Learn to look for them. Stay discerning about them so that you can steward them faithfully. See them as God moments, opportunities to grow spiritually.
The Real You
And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites.
Matthew 6:5 (NKJV)
The story is told of a grandmother, a mother, and a little boy—three generations together—who decided to go to a restaurant. They sat down to order, and the waitress took the grandmother's order, then took the mother's order, and then turned to the little boy and said, “Young man, what would you like?”
The mother immediately said, “Oh, I'll order for him.” This is typical and, in many cases, necessary. But the waitress that day, without being rude, ignored the mother and said again to the little boy, “What would you like?”
Glancing over at his mother to see how she was reacting to all of this, the boy said, “I want a hamburger.”
“How would you like your hamburger? With mustard and pickles and the works?” asks the waitress. The little boy’s mouth dropped open in amazement. He replied, “I want my hamburger with the works.”
She went over to the short order window and hollered in the grandmother's order, then hollered in the mother's order. And then in a very loud voice, you could hear her say, “And one hamburger with the works!”
That little boy then turned to his mother in utter astonishment and said, “Mommy, she thinks I'm real!”
I encourage you today to live your life trusting that your real self is enough. Your real self is sufficient. Your real self is gifted. Your real self is blessed.
The real you is enough. It might not be enough for some people, but Jesus teaches it is sure enough for Him.
The real you is valued. The real you is worth listening to. The real you is worth being loved. The real you is enough.
Moments Matter
One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.
John 1:40-42 (NKJV)
Moments matter, don't they? They matter in our journey to spiritual maturity.
But more important than seizing moments or responding to moments or showing up for moments is discerning the meaning of moments.
I’ve had a lot of moments in my life, and many of them have been powerful, impactful, inspiring, and motivating. What is significantly important, however, is whether or not I develop the spiritual capacity to discern the meaning of a moment.
Andrew was a faithful disciple of a powerfully spiritual and impactful preacher, John the Baptist, who was unusually gifted. Andrew was deeply devoted to John's ministry, and it significantly impacted his life. And yet, when Jesus passed by, Andrew heard something in John's voice as John proclaimed, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” Andrew sensed something in the moment. He discerned the depth of its meaning. And for Andrew, his interpretation was this: “I've been listening to the wilderness prophet all this time. He has significantly impacted my life and added quality to my lived experience, but this is a moment, and I can't stay here. I can't let this Man pass by, because what just happened revealed the meaning of John's whole ministry.”
John’s role was that of a forerunner, and Andrew picked up on that. Andrew thought, “This moment means something for me spiritually. It requires that I make a critical decision. Even if I make the decision by myself, it is forcing a change to where I rest my attention and where I plant my devotion. I cannot let it pass. I cannot treat it as casual. I’ve got to leave John and go with Jesus, even though nobody else is following Him yet. The moment is too meaningful for me to pass up.”
Are you able to discern the moments that truly matter in your spiritual journey?
