Today we continue looking at question 3 of the DIMES Framework:

M – What MOTIVATES me most?

Yesterday we began to examine what motivates us and drives us through life, overcoming obstacles and difficulties. We saw the first two avenues of motivation – our calling, what we see as the ultimate purpose of our lives, and our compulsion, the priorities of our life that we must achieve over everything else. Now let’s look at the next …

Companions

When we’ve identified our calling in life and the motivating factor that compels us, we must carefully consider the company we choose to keep. This is such an important issue that it appears as the very first issue dealt with in the Psalms:

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Psalm 1:1

Our relationships help connect our inner compulsions to how they’re expressed in the real world. The company we keep shapes how our calling and motivations play out in daily life. Those we choose to surround ourselves with will inevitably influence our thinking, our attitudes, and our actions. The age-old problem of peer pressure is not something limited to young people. Generally speaking, we like to be liked, and we tend to assume that differences in thinking prevent people from liking us. Sadly, there is likely an element of truth in this.

We cannot keep close to us those who have unbiblical opinions and ideas and not expect to be influenced in some way. Even if it’s “just” watering down something that used to be a soul-deep, spirit-led conviction and is now a personal opinion or preference – that is damaging enough to make our witness and values less sure, less impactful.

The issue of choosing companions who will influence us for the better is illustrated throughout the Scriptures in relationships such as Naomi and Ruth, Moses and Joshua, and Barnabas and John Mark. The mentoring John Mark received from Barnabas was so impactful that it transformed John Mark from an unreliable missionary companion into someone whom Paul himself admitted was “profitable … for the ministry” – a wonderful example of a helpful relationship.

Ultimately, we need to move beyond the initial reasons why a relationship was formed to a point where we can evaluate which relationships we should prioritise. Only then can we begin to recognise the one relationship we value above all others. That relationship is our motivation. It is the one relationship we’d sacrifice all others to preserve, and for the believer, that should be our relationship with the Lord. Any other connection that helps us maintain that priority is worth keeping, but those who become an impediment to our relationship with Christ need to be reconsidered, and even, in the worst case, abandoned.

Conversations

In all relationships, we are only known by what we choose to reveal to others What we reveal is partially behavioural – our actions and body language portray a particular character that has been moulded by our central motivation. But in order to understand what is within our heart, our mind and soul, we need to express it in words. That’s the principle Paul taught in 1^st Corinthians:

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 2:11

Just as the Spirit of God reveals the truth about God to us through the written Word of God, so we reveal the truth about our innermost thoughts only through the words we use, whether written or spoken. At this moment you are reading my thoughts, given form through words, first typed onto a screen and now printed on a page.

How do people see what motivates us? How can they find out what our calling is, what it is that compels us in life? How can they discern the reasons why we keep certain people close to us but keep others at a distance? It will be through our words

On at least two occasions, Jesus spoke of the heart being revealed by use of the mouth. On both occasions, it is presented in a negative light:

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Matthew 12:34

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
Matthew 15:18

However, it is also true in a positive sense. Take, for example, Paul’s description of how we receive salvation:

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:9-10

Whether they are used in praise, in testimony, or in sharing God’s Word, when the Lord is our prime motivation in life, our words will be filled with references to Him. He will become the main subject of our conversations, and His Word will fill our speech.

So what motivates you most?

What inspires your calling, drives your compulsions, shapes your choice of companions, and fills your conversations?

Whatever, or whoever, that is , it is either God or a god to us.

If God really is God of our lives, our ultimate motivation will be His glory. Everything else will be relegated as secondary in comparison.

The post No other gods? – Pt 3.2 appeared first on Now Nearer Ministries.

DIMES Framework question 3:

M – What MOTIVATES me most?

From the time the Endurance got trapped in pack ice until the crew of Shackleton’s ill-fated Trans-Antarctic Expedition were rescued, nine months had passed. Surviving on seals, penguins, and even their dogs, the men endured the ice, uninhabited islands, and weeks on the open water on two lifeboats. Against all odds, every crew member made it back home alive as Shackleton’s sense of duty and responsibility toward his men motivated him to do everything possible to make sure every one of them survived.

Few of us are ever going to experience this kind of intense survival situation, and yet we all have a motivation for life. Beyond the temporary motivations required for passing exams or completing a DIY job at home, we have something in our lives that drives us. It’s our “raison d’être”, our life’s purpose.

Whatever “it” is, it moulds our actions, reactions, and interactions. It is our dominant motivating factor, in that it governs our core being. Our personality, belief system, worldview, and ethical morality is assembled and shaped according to this driving force.

Heart start

The primary motivators of our life begin within our spiritual heart. Where that spiritual heart is spiritually alive and governed by the Lord and His Word, our thoughts and desires will be most strongly influenced along a godly path. That doesn’t mean the godly path will always be chosen, but that is where the most satisfying and fulfilling path lies.

On the other hand, when that heart is spiritually dead, its primary motivators are more carnal, earthly, and natural. Our natural state is sinful and selfish. Even generosity and kindness, though outwardly noble, arise from self-centred motives: a desire to feel good about ourselves, to feel that our lives have meaning and purpose, without reference to God. Yet that meaning and purpose, disconnected from honouring the Lord, is not of faith, and whatsoever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23).

Therefore this role of the heart, as understood from a biblical perspective, gives us a scriptural “handle” that helps us grasp the importance of the things that motivate us, since it is from that heart that all the “issues” of life flow.

Human beings are complex and full of contradictions, as seen in James’ teaching concerning the tongue:

But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. …
James 3:8-10

Double-mindedness is at the root of this problem. It requires us to accept at least two conflicting value systems, but this always leads to spiritual instability. Back to James:

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
James 1:8

Yet it is possible to overcome this kind of thinking and reverse the contradictions, restoring harmony and stability:

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
James 4:8

This suggests that double-mindedness is sinful – but why?

Practical polytheism

Double-mindedness does not treat the Lord as the only God of our lives. We may still treat the Lord as more important than anything else, but if there are other things that we feel obligated to, our allegiance to the Lord is being split.

God does not want to be the first of many. He desires, and deserves, to be the first and only. Our relationships with everything else must be viewed through the lens of His sovereignty over every aspect of our lives.

This is why it can be so hard to identify those things that intrude into God’s place in our lives. Doing so may reveal a faith that, practically speaking, is polytheistic – acceptance of multiple gods.

To most Christians that might be a horrific thing to say. We would never in a million years consciously worship false gods, yet allowing anything else into God’s rightful place, functionally speaking makes them into gods. It’s idolatry in practice even if not in belief.

Practical polytheism is subtle and identifying it requires serious and detailed self-examination. Our motivations are a strong indicator of what we truly treat as God in our lives. That’s why we ask this question – “What motivates you most?” – and it occupies the central position in the DIMES framework. Although that was not necessarily by design, it is appropriate. The question associated with this aspect of the framework is this: “What is the central purpose or driving force of your life, shaping your decisions and interactions?”

Consider four avenues of examination:

Calling

What do you hope to achieve by your life? This goes beyond having a career or personal accomplishments.

The word “ambition” suggests something more than goals or dreams or completing a “bucket list”. It speaks of the contribution our existence on earth has made, the feature that gives meaning to our lives. The greatest motivating factor of your life will determine that principal ambition.

If your greatest motivator is wealth, your ambition may be to accumulate wealth to become the richest person in the world. If your motivator is fame, your ambition may be to make yourself a household name that everyone in the world recognises.

Most of us will never reach that level of excess, so our ambitions need to be more realistic. Perhaps it’s to live a comfortable life with enough to leave a legacy for your children. Perhaps it’s to be seen as the person everyone can rely on – a confidant and stalwart support that others turn to. Perhaps your ambition is to do all in your power to help your children succeed in achieving their dreams.

But what if the Lord is your primary motivator? Well, there are a number of ambitions that are godly and biblical. There’s even one desire we should have that is named as our calling:

Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

According to Paul, our calling is to glorify the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. That should be the ultimate calling of every Christian – to live in a way that glorifies and exalts the Lord.

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31

True worship in all its forms will in some way lift up (exalt) the Lord or enlarge our view (magnify) of the Lord.

Compulsion

What pushes us to act a certain way? What is it that motivates us to overcome obstacles?

The answer depends very much on our calling. Whatever our highest calling is, we will be driven to overcome any disruption to it.

One popular ice-breaker activity is “Would you rather …?”, in which each person is offered a choice of two outcomes and asked which they’d rather have.

• “Would you rather lose your sight or your memories?”
• “Would you rather communicate only in emoji or never be able to text at all ever again?”
• “Would you rather have a pause or a rewind button on your life?”
• “Would you rather get trapped in the middle of a food fight or a water balloon fight?”

What if we were to do a “Would you rather” test on all of your plans and intentions? Then get all the winners and pit them against one another again. Then keep whittling down the list until we’re left with just one goal? Whatever you’re left with is your primary motivator. That’s the thing in your life you’d sacrifice everything else for.

But in doing such an exercise, it’s very easy to choose those answers we know we should choose. Perhaps it would be better to look back at what we have already sacrificed or prioritised.

• When faced with either reading the Bible or scrolling through social media, what have you chosen?
• What about attending a church meeting or having family time at home?
• An extra few minutes in bed or a time of prayer to start the day?
• Talking about the match watched on Saturday or about the message preached on Sunday?
• Joining the outreach team knocking doors or adding another episode to your binge-watch?
• Filling every moment with work or activities and falling asleep in church the next day, or preparing yourself the night before so you’re fresh to hear God speak?

Being honest about these will help discover what compels us in life. And it’s not a “would you rather” hypothetical, but an honest examination of what we have done that will reveal what we really value as our major motivating factor.

Tomorrow we’ll look at the other two avenues that determine our motivation.

The post No other gods? – Pt 3.1 appeared first on Now Nearer Ministries.