What motivates you to do what you do?

The motivation for our actions differs from person to person. Some are motivated to feed and take care of their children, some to care for another family member and some to go to work. Actually we are motivated by more than one of these reasons and also for other reasons.

We should always be mindful that motivations differ for people around the world. In war-torn countries, the primary motivation may be to find a location with a little more safety, find someone who can provide medical help, find some food and water for the family and perhaps all these things and more.

C.S. Lewis pointed out a fault that tends to overcome people when they enjoy relative safety and comfort. One of the chapters in his book “Mere Christianity”, is titled “The Great Sin”. The chapter discusses a Christian moral that is different from all other morals. Lewis writes “There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others.”

The fault Lewis refers to is Pride…the opposite of Humility. He writes of the competitive nature of Pride. People are not proud of having money or of being smart or of being good looking. People are proud of being richer or smarter or better looking than others. If we had a large amount of money we would be proud only if we had more money than others.

Each of us should examine ourselves and our motivations. Why do we do what we do? Do we help people to make us look good or because we sincerely want to help others? Do we volunteer for jobs because we want praise or because the job will help achieve goals? Do we write pieces for the church newsletter because we want to help people think about their lives or to make us look smart? (Hey, I need help with this, too.)

Jesus gave advice to his disciples and others as he was teaching about prayer in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 6:6 (NIV), Jesus says “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” Clearly the motivation for our actions should not be to impress others.

Lewis goes so far as to write “As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”

Something for each of us to think about…

-ND Harrison, Elder