By Jay Bransford
Jesus had one motivation in life…. “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work” (John 4:34).
If this is Jesus’ motivation, then certainly it should be our primary motivation, too, right? So what does Jesus mean and how does it apply to us?
When Jesus uses the word “food” in this verse, He is referring to the things that give Him energy, strength, and motivation. Thus, there are evidently things in life that can provide us with the motivation, energy and strength we need every day. What are those things?
In John 4:34 Jesus tells us that there are two things that serve as food or motivation for Him. The first is “doing God’s will” and the second is “finishing God’s work”. Jesus gets energy and motivation when He is actually DOING God’s will. And Jesus is evidently energized by the goal to actually FINISH that work.
So how does this apply to you?
Your motivation level should be directly connected to your doing of God’s will. But in order for you to “do God’s will”, you must first know what God’s will for your life is. We all have a general calling and purpose to love God and to love others. Loving God involves things such as spending time with God, reading his Word, praying and being His disciple. Loving others involves things such as spending quality time with people, getting to know their stories, and sharing what you have with them. This might include giving others your time, talents, truth, care, prayers, and/or resources. So when we are taking time to nurture our relationship with God and when are being loving to others, we are “doing God’s will”. And that should result in us having greater levels of motivation and energy.
To go a level deeper, you can ask yourself, “What is God’s unique will, purpose and calling for me?” What is God specifically asking YOU to do with your life? This is a critical question to wrestle with. Remember that your level of motivation comes directly from you DOING God’s will for your life. So if you’re feeling unmotivated, there’s a chance that you might not be focused on doing the things that God uniquely created you to do. Take some time to reflect on what you know about how God creatively designed you – your gifts, your passions, your strengths, your experiences, and what God may have specifically asked you to do. Don’t let yourself float around in life or get off track. Be living in God’s will for your life!
As a leader it is also your responsibility to help your staff discover and live out God’s calling on each of their lives. If you truly want your staff to be motivated to their fullest potential, then make sure you are giving them the opportunity to discover their purpose and calling, and to live it out – even if that means that they need to move on to a new place or ministry. We all need food from God – which can be found by doing His will.
For more information on how to motivate others, see: http://allc.asia/skills/motivating-and-mobilizing/