Have you ever taken a moment to consider why you are in ministry?
Your why in ministry matters and the best place to look to develop your why is at Jesus.
What was Jesus’ Motivation?
From the gospels we can observe that Jesus dedicated his life to pleasing God. In John 5:30, Jesus says, “I seek not to please myself but him who sent me” John 5:30b.
- Was his motivation to please himself? Nope, Jesus could have stayed in heaven for that.
- Was it to please other people or to be popular? Not hardly, he went against the crowd
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- Jesus said, “I do it to please the Father.”
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In your ministry and day to day work, it’s important to remind yourself, “Who you are serving?”
According to 1 Thessalonians 2:4, “For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.”
Let’s take a look at the Apostle Paul to further develop our why.
What was the Apostle Paul’s Motivation?
In 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 Paul writes, “For Christ’s love COMPELS us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”
There is no motivation stronger than coming to the understanding, not only that someone loves you, but that they loved you enough to die for you.
This is why Paul also wrote in Galatians 2:19-20, "I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved men and gave Himself for me."
This is a great motivating factor in Paul's life and ministry, which was inseparable. Jesus died for me, and in Him I have died to myself and my life is now His life, therefore what He did, I do, but even more, it is not me that does it, but Jesus does it by living in me and through me.
Therefore we’ve all died…. Dead to self-centered living, but fully alive IN Jesus CHRIST.
Christ died our death for us that we might live His life for Him.
So learn to live for an audience of one and be compelled by God’s perfect love for you and for those you serve everyday.
