SIDEBAR: Motivation for the Long Haul
By Roger Thompson
July 1, 1994
So send I you to labor unrewarded,
To serve unpaid, unloved, unsought, unknown,
To bear rebuke, to suffer scorn and scoffing,
So send I you to toil for me alone.
As much as we might admire the courage of that hymn, we ought to question its biblical realism. To labor alone, without reward or encouragement, is more the theology of the High Plains drifter than the biblical Christian. Jesus, Paul, Titus, Timothy, Elijah, Moses, Joshua--to name a few--needed support. They found it in their common life with others of the same vision.
Yes, some callings are more lonely and difficult than others, but loneliness and futility are not the earmarks of the Holy Spirit's power through us. What makes us think we can maintain a high level of motivation all alone, when God did not design either individuals or the church for that purpose?
When launching a ministry, we do well to ask: Who supports me? Who has affirmed my gift for this ministry? Who has urged me to go in this direction? Who is willing to go with me? Who will guard me against myself? The fastest way to burn out is to tackle a tough task alone.
The following are some practical building blocks from which to construct a motivation foundation.
1. Invest in an affirmative outlook. Like love, motivation needs to be given away before it can be received. Practice giving confidence and support to those around you. Too often, we develop a degenerative spiral of griping and fault finding. This is cancerous to the freedom of the Spirit.
Break this cycle, whether in the ministry or in the family, catching people doing something right and rewarding them for it. Invest in an affirmative outlook, and the greatest educational force known to humanity--imitation--will be unleashed.
2. Fuel the fire with ...
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