I hear a lot about motivation at Weight Watchers meetings.
Of course, the purpose of the meetings is to motivate and encourage us to stay
with the program for the long haul. Right now I’m motivated by a new toy they
call e-tools. I can go on-line to track what I eat, look up the points values
of foods and even check out restaurants. My favorite is an app for my smart phone
that lets me scan the barcode on food items to get their points value.
But the need for motivation isn’t limited to the way we eat.
I dearly wish I could motivate my students to work harder. Last semester I had
to fail three students who dropped the ball at the end. They didn’t show up to
give their final speeches. I have some students who say I motivate them with my
enthusiasm and understanding, but I haven’t figured out how to reach everyone.
Another area where I see motivation at play is in the volunteer activities at
church. I just chaired a committee of fantastic women who planned a
mother/daughter banquet. They were so motivated to do it right, that they got
things done with joy. I’ve never worked with a more dedicated group.
In truth, motivation makes the difference in how we do
everything.
But this passage is about what motivates God. He didn’t act to bring His people home because they deserved
it. On the contrary, they had brought shame to His name. His name is holy and
His actions were motivated by His desire to protect it. He brought the
Israelites back to their land because He knew that would show all the nations
that He is the Lord.
Knowing this about God should change my motivations. God’s
name is so holy that He protects it by doing good things for people who don’t
deserve them. Israel’s actions shamed God’s name. So I can be like them and not
worry about how I affect His reputation or I can be like God and do whatever it
takes to reflect His holy name, even if it means treating others better than
they deserve.
There are lots of things that motivate me, but none should
take higher priority than protecting God’s holy name.
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