Motivation

​Recently, I met with a man whose marriage is tottering towards collapse.  He feels alone and unwanted in his own household.  His wife seems more devoted to his children than to him.  He seemingly cannot do enough to please her and he is ready to give up.  When I asked Him how his relationship with God was doing, he shared that it is anemic. He grew up without a loving father which has effected how he views, relates to and trusts his Heavenly Father. Therein lays the core issue.

Meditation
Jeremiah 32:39, 40--I will give them one heart and one way so that for their good and for the good of their descendants after them, they will fear Me always.“I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never turn away from doing good to them, and I will put fear of Me in their hearts so they will never again turn away from Me.”
 
We cannot summon the enduring motivation to overcome our problems if we do not have a right relationship with the One from whom pure motivation comes.  If our walk with God is flawed, we should not be surprised if we struggle in marriage, work, finances, self-esteem, or our relationship with others.   To focus on problem-solving without restoring communion with God is like throwing coins into the air hoping they will somehow fall into the parking meter and buy us more time.  

Because I work at keeping my relationship with God strong He gives me unceasing motivation.  Without a strong walk with Him, I wouldn’t have a chance—life’s struggles would tear me up.  Without Him I would naturally rely upon myself and that would be a sure formula for frustration and ineptitude.  

God promised the Israelites that He would give them singleness of heart and action so that they would always revere Him.  Jesus prayed for those who would believe in Him, “May they all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You.May they also be one in Us, so the world may believe You sent Me” (John 17:21). Unity with God brings capability to overcome any difficulty.  Singleness of heart moves our eyes off problems and back in love with our Lover. Singleness of action to honor our Lord empowers us to see our sinful condition, enables us to appropriate divine forgiveness and encourages us to do what is right!  “I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am Yahweh. They will be My people, and I will be their God because they will return to Me with all their heart” (Jer.24:7). When God inspires His people to fear Him, He is motivating!  He is our galvanizer.  He gives us hope, purpose and meaning.  He promises that our earthly existence, a simulacrum of heavenly life, will be transformed into an awesome eternal abiding with Him.  Now that’s exciting!  Don’t let the trials and troubles spoil your incentive to live for Christ.  In living for Him You become an overcomer tapping into the eternal wellspring of God’s motivation.  Something to think about . . . in reveration!  
 
Inspiration
Whenever God inspires, the initiative is a moral one.–Oswald Chambers in My Utmost For His Highest
 
©2004 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box. Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)