What Motivates People?

                                              

     
Who or what can motivate a person that does not fit into the following five categories?

   1.      The Spirit of God

        2.       Satan and his demonic forces

           3.       The world
   4.       The flesh

           5.       Self

       One of the hardest things for Christians to do is to discern and/or admit their own motivations. If they do internally acknowledge that their motivations are not of the Spirit of God, often they try to cover them up or justify them with works and/or blame on others. It is called self deception!

God’s will is for Christians to glorify Christ by uniting in true faith and fulfilling His will for them on earth. To do this their only motivation must be the Spirit of God which always includes the will of God in any and all matters. For this to take place each true Christian must come to the place of it is not I who live but Christ who lives within me… (Galatians 2: 20). This is so important!

       We must come to the understanding that no two people, much less larger numbers, can be in unity of faith until it is only Jesus Christ that lives within each. Jesus lives only to do the will of His and our heavenly Father. When it is Jesus and Jesus only that lives within us then His will is done on earth as it is in heaven. 

       Furthermore, Satan and his demonic forces were defeated by Jesus at the cross, but He has not been put away yet. He is a real and viable foe. We, as Christians, cannot deal effectively with him and His forces, demonic or human, or any other motivation until Christ Jesus and Christ Jesus only lives within us.

 

       There are people all around us that are not motivated and/or led by the Spirit of God. They are motivated by one or all of the other means of motivation. Until their only motivation becomes the Spirit and will of God there is no way that one can be equally yoked with them in any matter. A little leaven always leavens the whole lump. God does not want us to be yoked with them; He wants us to be a witness to them. Never confuse the two!  When there is confusion about this, havoc takes place at some point (storms are always brewing).  

The psychologists of the world often call these people dysfunctional and they call those family members and others who keep them in their dysfunctional state as enablers. (The Word of God has other ways of describing both groups).  Christians often think they are being a witness when they are actually enabling the person. Other Christians that are not totally motivated by the Spirit of God will even manipulate and use these people to accomplish certain things.  For example, one who wants to be viewed as a “good cop” will let the “bad cop” do his thing if it accomplishes what the “good cop” wants.  One description in the Word is the blind leading the blind.

      We need true unity of faith to accomplish God’s overall purpose(s) for us on earth. It cannot and will never will never real humility and repentance takes place. Let judgment begin and let it begin with Christians!  Those who willingly submit to the judgment of God will not suffer the judgment of God. Selah!