Being a Christian is a lot like being an athlete. Paul loves to make the comparison (2 Timothy 2:5, Philippians 3:14). “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it” (1 Corinthians 9:24). Paul understood that Christians need to think like athletes. There is a prize for all the hard work we need to do. The better the performance, the bigger the rewards. Like athletes, we need motivation.
When NFL teams clash on a Sunday afternoon, they are highly motivated. Each team is striving for Super-Bowl glory, and every player knows that their individual performance will determine their own future contract. In addition to the money, they are motivated by the glory, the idea of wearing a ring that displays their accomplishments. This year’s Eagles’ Super Bowl rings have a button that increases the display of their glory; hardware like that is a great motivator for future players. And Howie Roseman (the Eagles’ Manager) is famous for quickly rewarding outstanding performance with lucrative pay increases. The Eagles management understands the value of these motivators.
Every team gets it, even if it is to a lesser degree, as with the Cowboys :) But think about what any team will do if an opposing player goes to the media and makes a derogatory comment about them…The coach will seize upon that, display the comment in the locker room, and use it for extra motivation: “Look what he said about you! Are you gonna prove him wrong or are you gonna let him get away with that?” The coach uses a player’s anger to motivate him to be more aggressive.
Every sport, by its competitive nature, is fueled by motivation, but Christians often neglect the importance of motivation in the game of life. Perhaps this is connected to the fact that we are given so much at the outset of the Christian life. Think about it: the very moment that we believe in Jesus Christ, we are showered with blessings more valuable than an Eagles’ Super Bowl ring. In an instant, we have complete forgiveness of all sin—past, present, and future (Luke 24:47); we have eternal life granted to us, not merely as a future hope for when we die, but as an instantaneous reality (John 11:26); we even get the down payment of the Holy Spirit, the third Member of the Trinity, to live inside of us (Ephesians 1:13-14). Indeed, at the moment of our new birth, we have everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). For all these things, we ought to give thanks.
We do give thanks, but there is a problem: Gratitude is not a very strong motivator. Human nature works against gratitude’s sustaining power. We tend to forget our blessings, even if we are reminded to “forget not His benefits” (Psalm 103:2). We know we need to make a list of all the things for which we are thankful and pray “with thanksgiving” (Philippians 4:6), but we tend to get too busy to offer thanks, or maybe too busy to even produce the list. Because of our frail estate, our thankfulness is very weak relative to all that we have been given. Thanks be to God that He remembers our frame.
He has something more. God does not motivate us by our gratitude only, but also by His promises! This is a wonderful, though neglected, truth of the Christian life. When, as a child, I was taught a bible verse for each letter of the alphabet, I learned the letter E this way: “Exceeding, great, and precious promises are given unto us” (2 Peter 1:4). The promises of God are future oriented, not past oriented, and they are the biggest motivator of the Christian life.
“13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God” (1 Peter 1:13-21).
Notice that Peter motivates us with both the past and the future. In verses 18-21, he reminds us of what has already been done for us, and in verses 13-17, he promises us more. In verse 21, “faith and hope” include both the past-oriented and future-oriented aspects of our devotion.
With regard to the future, Peter uses both the carrot and the stick to motivate righteous living. The carrot is “the grace that will be brought” when Jesus comes back. The stick is the discipline of the “Father” whom we are to “fear.”
There are future benefits associated with right choices, and there are future hardships associated with wrong choices. God presses upon our own self interest to motivate good Christian living. If we abide in Him, living by His Word, we can expect fuller joy (John 15:11). If we neglect Him and His Word, living by our emotions, we can expect the pains of discipline (Hebrews 12:11).
The choice is ours. But I write these things to motivate us to choose wisely. Let’s start every week in church. Let’s start every day in prayer and the Word. Put into practice what we learn on Sunday mornings and what we read in the Word every day. We will be blessed if we live this way (Psalm 1).
If athletes are motivated by hope of future rewards, how much more ought we be motivated by hope of future rewards? Our rewards hold promise for this life and also for the one to come.
Motivated By Great Promises,
Pastor Jeff
