What are your motivations for doing things?
Why do you do things?
I caught a piece of the Amazing Race last night and I was suprised by the attitude of a Christian pair that were competing in the race. There are many problems i have with this pair but this one really got my nerves. It was the motivation that is keeping them in the race.
One of the challenges on the show was to go down a massive water slide. From the top you could see that you were a long way up and you couldnt really see where you would end up, due to the underground part of the slide. Anyway this girl in this pair is affraid of heights (and guessing because of the use of floaties, water) so she wasnt keen at all to go down. In fact she thought she was going to die! Her boyfriend, her partner in the race, tries to convince her it will be alright, when that didnt work he tries to force her down the slide. This is the motivation that he gave her for the slide: 1 Million dollars for going down a slide. She didnt care much for the money but rather her life.
Why am I annoyed at this? Because of his motivation. A Christian should not be motivated by money, but God. Wouldnt the wiser thing have been to say “God will protect you.”? Or at least encourage her to trust in God! Instead I think their sinful natures has shone brighter than their trust for God.
The bottom line from this scene that many people will take away is that ‘Money is more important to a Christian than God! ‘
I doubt the faith of those who display such an attitude but I really resent the fact that sometimes we forget what should be motivating us.
“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Rom 13:14 ESV)
Who or what is your motivation?
For a similar topic see Dave’s look at idols.
Check who you pay homage to – part 1
gotta be honest Dan, if I knew I’d get 1 million dollars for pushing my wife down a slide in which her safety as assurred, I’d push her, with no hesitation.
By: geoffc on November 13, 2009
at 11:24 am
Mate, love your honesty, but i hope your wife doesnt read your comment ;p
By: Dan Presland on November 13, 2009
at 12:36 pm
have to admit dan, sam and I watched that episode. I then turned to him and said, “if something as silly as a fear of slides stops us from winning 1million, you push me Sam!! hard!!” He agreed
Safety assured of course, as per geoffc.
By: onlinesoph on November 24, 2009
at 11:55 am
Hi Soph, Thanks for your comment.
well it looks like i am outvoted on this one….
By: Dan Presland on November 27, 2009
at 3:43 pm
I’ll come to your rescue mate – of course everyone agrees that if their safety were assured they’d push. . .
but surely the wifes fear was coz her safety wasn’t assured..
Putting it out there that i have no knowledge of the Amazing Race coz we do not own a tv but i would ask why the husband didn’t lead the way?
dunno – sounds like the man needs a little lesson in respect and its examples like these that portray a poor representation of the ’strangers’ we’re meant to be to this world..
hope he felt guilty afterward
By: Nick on December 1, 2009
at 6:47 pm
Hey mate, been a while.
Thanks for your backup
By: Dan Presland on December 2, 2009
at 11:06 am
I was wondering in a similar vain – to what extent are we, as reborn and thus ‘new’ creations – to speak and think differently?
For example – if you were to look at a person who lives in a very verbally abusive environment – their vocab’ would reflect it, their conversation would reflect it.
If we have the privilege of new birth in Christ, should we not be of a new spirit? By the same token – do we not then have a new inclination to a new thought pattern, a new way of life as it were? Is this ‘newness’ meant to be so different?
The example I want to bring in here is a game that children play. Starting with a word like ‘elephant’ the idea is to respond with the first word that comes into your head. Very simple and not much scope for deeply engrossing God-filled conversation but with such a simple idea surely we as people who desire to bring glory and honor to God, seek to have our first response, as one that points to God, or His creation, or salvation or atonement for sin or His reign or sovereignty for example.
Is this something that The Spirit cultivates in us, do we need to contribute? In the way that we seek to contribute to avoiding folly or habitual sin, do we not seek to contribute to our knowledge of the scripture by sitting in a sermon or reading or lsitening to the Word.
I just ask how seriously do we seek to be motivated by something different – or do we want to remain culturally relevant by allowing our old worldly self to have the bits that are hard to let go of?
– Tis encouraging by the way Dan to see alot of thought provoking articles/thoughts coming from ya. Hope I dont come across as argumentative or hi-jacking your comments – just wanted to see what you thought/agree’d or not.
Cheers
By: Nick on December 2, 2009
at 11:40 am
Hi mate, i think i got carried away answering your question so i will give a brief answer which will be followed by my full answer, if you have any questions please ask.
Col 3, for example, presents how we are to do this by ridding ourselves of what Jesus has freed us from, by his death. This section relates back to the earlier statement “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” (Col 2:6–7 TNIV). As people receive Jesus as Lord, that is as people believe in the Gospel becoming Christians, they have a responsibility to live like Christ. This is part of being united to Christ. Therefore when we see that Jesus died for our sins we also know that we are to put to death our sinful ways. This is a conscious decision and a conscious way of life. Christians are to live conscious of what sin is and how to avoid it and cut it off from their lives.
This is where we get back to the Spirit. The Spirit gives us conviction of sin and a reminder of Jesus and the words and work he has done (John 16). The Spirit helps us to know ourselves in light of the Gospel and therefore giving us a consciousness of our sins. The Spirit also guides us to know what God’s words are. We are also helped by the Spirit as the Spirit works in us to help us live for Christ (Gal 5). The Spirit reminds us of God’s words and guides us to know what is right and correct so we can follow Christ.
So in complete answer to your question it is both the Spirit and us. We are given new life and the Spirit to help us to live out our life in Christ, but we are not to sit back and relax, we are commanded to continue to strive in our Christian lives. Cutting off sin, walking by the Spirit, fighting the good fight, and resisting the devil. Ultimately this is done in Jesus’ work. But we are also responsible for following Jesus and living out a life of faith, trusting in Jesus and following him. So our lives are not to be part of this world, but separate and distinct.
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To start to answer your question let me address the final part of it first. Our motivation for living and the direction we seek stem from Jesus.
As the Gospel is preached Jesus is pronounced as Lord (2 Cor 4:5). It is this Gospel that once received will mean that a person will “declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom 10:9 TNIV). This confession changes the way we approach life.
We understand this by knowing who Jesus is as Christ and Lord and what this means for us as people. If we look to the picture God gives us of the end of days we know that everyone will confess that Jesus is Lord (Phil 2:11, and through Revelation we see the nations and spiritual powers being submissive and bowing to praise Jesus and God). Therefore Jesus has authority; “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”” (Matt 28:18–20 TNIV). So as we listen to the words God has given to us we know that if Jesus is our Lord we are to obey him. We obey him by listening to the Apostles, prophets, and the Law. We hear what they say concerning Jesus and we listen to how we are instructed to follow Jesus.
In following Jesus he demands our lives. “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for you to gain the whole world, yet forfeit your soul? Or what can you give in exchange for your soul? If any of you are ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”” (Mark 8:34–38 TNIV, see also Luke 9:57-62, 14:25-33). These are strong words that Jesus speaks as he says if you call him Lord and you become his disciple you need to give total allegiance to him. This is true Christianity.
So when Paul and others say that we are to rid ourselves of sin and to obey Jesus this is indeed what Jesus has demands of Christians. So Col 3, for example, presents how we are to do this by ridding ourselves of what Jesus has freed us from, by his death. This section relates back to the earlier statement “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” (Col 2:6–7 TNIV). As people receive Jesus as Lord, that is as people believe in the Gospel becoming Christians, they have a responsibility to live like Christ. This is part of being united to Christ. Therefore when we see that Jesus died for our sins we also know that we are to put to death our sinful ways. This is a conscious decision and a conscious way of life. Christians are to live conscious of what sin is and how to avoid it and cut it off from their lives.
This is where we get back to the Spirit. The Spirit gives us conviction of sin and a reminder of Jesus and the words and work he has done (John 16). The Spirit helps us to know ourselves in light of the Gospel and therefore giving us a consciousness of our sins. The Spirit also guides us to know what God’s words are. We are also helped by the Spirit as the Spirit works in us to help us live for Christ (Gal 5). The Spirit reminds us of God’s words and guides us to know what is right and correct so we can follow Christ.
So in complete answer to your question it is both the Spirit and us. We are given new life and the Spirit to help us to live out our life in Christ, but we are not to sit back and relax, we are commanded to continue to strive in our Christian lives. Cutting off sin, walking by the Spirit, fighting the good fight, and resisting the devil. Ultimately this is done in Jesus’ work. But we are also responsible for following Jesus and living out a life of faith, trusting in Jesus and following him. So our lives are not to be part of this world, but separate and distinct. I will finish with Peter’s words.
“Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.” (1 Pet 1:13–25 TNIV)
By: Dan Presland on December 5, 2009
at 10:54 am