Motivation Mentality

"'Even now,' declares the Lord,
'return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning.
Rend your heart and not your garments.'"
Joel 2:12

Why do we do the things we do? Why are we passionate about the things that drive us? What is our motivation?

Our motivations seem so skewed these days. They are either completely selfish or based on arbitrary and unimportant factors. Let me give you an example. I turned on the TV last week. It happened to be tuned into ESPN and if you recall last week’s focus was of course the Super Bowl. I was ready to switch the channel when I saw a summary of Sal Palintonio’s report. It read, “Pats using distractions to motivate.” I’m sorry, did I read that correctly? Apparently, striving for a perfect season, striving for immortality, striving to attain the life long dream of winning a Super Bowl is not enough motivation. And they aren’t the only athletes who use external influences to motivate themselves. They call it “board material.” Any sorts of trash talking or guarantees make it onto some board with the intent of making the players play harder and perform at a higher level. Yes, you read that correctly. Somehow, professional athletes who get paid millions to play a game they love need a put down to give it their all. What a joke.

But are Christians any different? Am I? Why do we strive for holiness? Why do we go to church? Why do we practice the disciplines? Sometimes I wonder if I do it out of duty or to impress others or just because I am supposed to – after all I am a minister.

My church just had an Ash Wednesday service that challenged those in attendance to fast from something they cherish. What did I choose? Pop/Soda and food on Wednesdays. Why? Well, primarily they are two things I love, but giving them up will result in health benefits. The fact is, these items are not all that challenging for me to give up, and I doubt I am going to spend my time drawing near to God. All this is to say, my motivation for fasting is not to bask in the presence of my loving God. I am not doing it because I want to experience God in a new and awesome way. Though the whole concept of fasting should revolve around selflessness I can somehow turn it into selfishness. I am just reflecting a culture of selfish external motivation.

So, while writing this entry, I have made a decision to forgo much of the mindless television watching that I do at night. Typically, I sit in front of the TV from 9 until 11 at night, usually with a laptop in hand, watching sports or whatever else is on. But I don’t need to. I need to be practicing the disciplines. More importantly, I want to. I want to renew my faith. I want to return with all my heart.