Motivation and Enlightened Self-Interest

Most of us struggle with some aspect of being motivated to deal with doing things we don’t like doing. When it comes to the Christian Walk, we often look for internal motivation to keep us going with the disciplined life that it takes to know God as He desires. But True Motivation is always an outgrowth of our goals. Why Are You Doing What You’re Doing? Once you understand your purpose here on this earth, you will begin to be motivated by Enlightened Self-Interest.

God Is Sovereign

He’s going to do what He wants. In this world and in your life. In your spirit you have already agreed with His plans for you, and are actively cooperating with Him as He works in, through and for you. Herein lies the conundrum: If God is sovereign, and is going to do what He wants anyway, what is OUR role? Why should we DO anything?

The Real Goal

You’re not here on this earth for God’s benefit, but for your own. Your soul is fighting to maintain its control, even refusing to be healed. You have already given God permission to join your soul to your spirit, relinquishing control to God through your spirit. Here is where the battle lies. Your soul wants to maintain control, even in areas it’s already failed, over and over again. So God makes the most of our time here on earth and creates circumstances in our lives in which our soul’s strength fails, and we are forced to turn to Him for healing, life, encouragement and direction. Yes, those bad circumstances are from Him. For you. You will have to learn how to deal with them at some point; we don’t get out of doing the hard work just by dying.

Self Interest

So when those difficulties arise, whether an external circumstance or an internal struggle, we embrace the opportunity to turn to Him and be changed. We don’t know what’s next for us, after we leave this Earth-bound existence, but it’s likely it will build on top of what we have been changed into here. We know that it will be God-created and loving toward us. There are wonders we are to understand now, and wounds to be healed now, and understanding that is for us now, so that we live as spirit now. This is the work to be done. It is in our best interest to do the work now, for if it is not done now, it will just have to be done later, in addition to the work of what’s next. We don’t know what that will be, but we trust that since He has created circumstances for spirit living now, it is in all of our best interests to learn to walk in it now.

“Lord, give me a hunger and thirst for everything that you want me to have now. Don’t let me be satisfied with anything less. I don’t want to put off till someday what you want me to be today. I agree that I have already given you permission to do whatever is necessary to make the most of my time here on earth. Thank You!”