DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT WEDNESDAY-WHAT IS OUR MOTIVATION TO SERVE?

The whole worth of a kind deed lies in the love that inspires it. - The Talmud.

We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. - 1 Thess 1:2-3. ESV

Have you ever thought of what motivates our service to God! I have, and I would like to share some principles from this scripture, that will make our service to God richer, stronger and everlasting! First we look at our…

WORK OF FAITH
Paul is encouraging the Church at Thessalonica by reminding them that he and his people were constantly praying for them, and pointing out that they were always in their remembrance of their Godly work of faith! What a wonderful way to encourage each other and our service for God!

Our motivation for service should not be for selfish glory or to try and gain God’s attention, as some are apt to do, and it shouldn’t be for some kind of spiritual high that affects a lot of Christians today, but it should be because we know Christ as our Lord and Saviour! His Spirit leads us and we respond to the call.

We serve the lord, because we believe who He is… For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. - James 2:26. We owe everything to Him and we trust Him for all of life! Hallelujah!

A young boy, on an errand for his mother, had just bought a dozen eggs. Walking out of the store, he tripped and dropped the sack. All the eggs broke, and the sidewalk was a mess. The boy tried not to cry. A few people gathered to see if he was OK and to tell him how sorry they were.

In the midst of the works of pity, one man handed the boy a quarter. Then he turned to the group and said, "I care 25 cents worth. How much do the rest of you care?" James 2:16 points out that words don't mean much if we have the ability to do more. - Stanley C. Brown.

Secondly we look at our...

LABOUR OF LOVE
When the going gets tough, and we feel weary, or we are in some trouble, we keep on operating because of the love He has instilled in us… We love because he first loved us. - 1 John 4:19.

Not just because we know and have faith, not because this is our reasonable service, but because of our love for Him and of Him! We are not motivated for any other reason, as He loves us so much that He gave His all for us, he went the extra mile, and He still demonstrates this love for us, every day!

Our labor for the Lord is: 1) A labor of love (I Thess 1:3). 2) A labor not in vain (I Cor 15:58). 3) A labor known by Christ (Rev 2:2). 4) A labor God does not forget (Heb 6:10). 5) A labor which is to be done together (I Cor 3:9). 6) A labor for eternal things (Col 1:28-9). 7) A labor which is to reward (I Cor 3:8). 8) A labor done to be accepted by Him (II Cor 5:9). 9) A labor which doesn't have an end (Luke 10:2). - Glen Pierpoint.

Our third and final principle is our…

STEADFASTNESS OF HOPE
We are in this for the long haul; it is not a short sprint but a marathon run! This brings a peace and a rest to our souls that cannot be improved on! This commitment to Jesus brings us hope, and helps us to stay focused on the finishing line…

Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. - Heb 12:2.

A recent television documentary pointed out that the cheetah survives on the African plains by running down its prey. The big cat can sprint seventy miles per hour. But the cheetah cannot sustain that pace for long. Within its long, sleek body is a disproportionately small heart, which causes the cheetah to tire quickly. Unless the cheetah catches its prey in the first flurry, it must abandon the chase.

Sometimes Christians seem to have the cheetah's approach to ministry. We speed into projects with great energy. But lacking the heart for sustained effort, we fizzle before we finish. We vow to start faster and run harder, when what we need may be not more speed but more staying power, stamina that comes only from a bigger heart. Motion and busyness, no matter how great, yield nothing unless we allow God to give us the heart. - Grant Lovejoy.

We get hope from endurance, because the leading and the work of the Holy Spirit, brings a peace upon us! We have the rest, because of knowing that God has in the right place at the right time, and that helps us to enjoy His goodness. Our steadfastness of hope shows to others, that we believe God holds our future, in His hands! Hallelujah! Be motivated in the right way!

Loving Father, help me by the power of the Holy Spirit, to keep my motivation pure. Help me Lord to run the race, by serving Jesus and his commands. Help me Lord to keep my eye firmly fixed on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of my faith, and help me Lord to labour in your love. In Jesus wonderful name I pray, Amen!