Finding Your Motivation

Have you ever known someone who had no motivation to give their best?  I suspect you have.

It might be:

• That guy on your sales team that doesn’t care if they don’t bring in their quota.
• That lady in customer service who rolls their eyes when a customer comes to their queue.
• The waiter focusing on their phone instead of your table.

When that happens, other people have to pick up the slack.

Your best effort matters.  For example, consider the world of sports.  I’ve never heard an athlete say during an interview that they mailed it in for the game.  They would be out of a job if they said, “Yeah, I didn’t feel like giving 100% tonight, so I gave 50%…. maybe 40%.”

But what if you’re the person who’s lost their motivation to give their best?  I’ve been there.

As a pastor, there have been times I’ve:

• dusted off an old sermon and preached it without reviewing and meditating on the passage.  (That’s not to say you can never reuse a message, but it’s a mistake to preach it like you’ve just pulled old leftovers out of the fridge.)
• plugged the same worship elements into a service plan like I’m working on an automated assembly line
• picked songs because I liked them, not because they fit the idea and flow of the sermon text.

And then there’s the times when I’ve not prepared for a meeting, rushed through times of prayer (both corporate and personal), given half baked ministry or vision updates….

You get the idea.  Lack of motivation is pretty humbling.  Perhaps you’ve felt and done the same.

However, I was reminded of something in a recent sermon on Joseph from Genesis 37-41.  When his brothers hated him, he served them.  When his father (who had recently scolded him for some dreams that he shared) asked him to go report on his brothers (did I mention that his brothers hated him?), he did it.  When he didn’t find them where they said they would be, he didn’t give up.  He kept following the trail until he found them and when he did, he was sold into slavery.  When he sold to Potiphar, he worked hard as his servant.  When he was in prison, he gave his best effort.  He never lacked motivation regardless of his circumstances or low position

Why?

I believe it was because he knew that he didn’t just work for his father, or his brothers, or Potiphar or the warden.  He worked for God.  In other words, Joseph knew Who he worked for, and that gave him the motivation to do his best.

Have you ever struggled with being motivated to do your best?  It’s never wrong to be sure that you are using your time and skills in your areas where you are passionate, but maybe it starts with something more simple.  Something that Joseph knew; that you ultimately work for God.  Your best effort matters to your Heavenly Father, because He is interested in all that you do.

Your best effort matters to your Heavenly Father, because He is interested in all that you do. Click To Tweet

That can be a sobering thought, but it is ultimately so much more!  Imagine what it would be like to have God involved in your work!  When you remember that God is interested, you begin to bring your questions, projects and challenges to Him.  You begin to invite God into your workplace, your project, and your work ethic.  It’s not just a wake up call, it is an encouragement.

When you’re struggling with giving your best, remember Who you work for.

Question:  What comes to mind when you think about working for God?