Motivation to Follow God
by Mike James
During the Days of Unleavened Bread, we often talk about examining ourselves and our relationship with God. This year I heard a sermon by Rob Gordon of the West Coast Church of God on the First Day of Unleavened Bread that discussed Israel's motivation to follow God. Have you thought much about your motivation to follow God?
One of the primary points for Israel to follow God was they were released from bondage. Not having the Egyptian slave masters over them any longer surely was a reason to follow the God who had freed them. Christ, our Passover, has also released us from the burden of our sins (1 Peter 2:24). This should also motivate us to follow the way of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Another primary reason Israel was motivated to follow God was because they were being led into the promised land. God had promised this land to them, going back to their patriarch Abraham (Genesis 17:8). This land was also promised to be a land flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3:8). Obviously, this would motivate them to follow their God.
In the same way, we should also follow God because we are promised the Kingdom of God. Much like the promised land, the Kingdom of God will be an even better place to be based on what the prophets have to say about it. Just one example is found in Micah 4:3-4, where we read that war will cease, each person will have no worries about food, and no one will fear anything.
There are other reasons we should be motivated to follow God. What about being motivated due to our fear of the wrath of God? Throughout the Bible, the message is clear that eventually, the wicked and those who refuse to follow God will meet destruction. One example is found in Revelation 21:7-8. Only those who overcome—not the unrepentant and unbelieving sinners—will inherit eternal life. Knowing you can choose to have eternal life rather than eternal death should be strong motivation.
On the other side of this is the motivation for blessings from God. These blessings would include eternal life in a transformed spiritual body. Imagine no more aches and pains or sickness forever! In fact, those who accept Christ now before His Second Coming will be guaranteed an extra thousand years of life during the millennial reign (Revelation 20:4).
Yet another motivating factor to follow God is the fact we were purchased for a price. In I Corinthians 6:20 we read about this. Since we were bought with a price—Christ's death—we should glorify God in our body and spirit, which belong to God.
Knowing who we are can also motivate us. We are God's children (Galatians 3:26; 1 John 2:1-2, 28; Hebrews 2:13-14). Knowing who we are and who God is should motivate us to be like Him and follow His lead.
The damage that sin can cause in our physical life should also motivate you to follow God. We can see the examples everywhere of what sin does in this world—wars, disease, dysfunctional families, greed, murder, stealing, and much more. Seeing the results of sin should motivate you to stop it. Also knowing the ultimate result of sin is death (Romans 6:23) is probably the greatest motivator.
Believe it or not, hard times can also be a great motivator to follow God. Note Hebrews 12:11, which tells us that we may not like to be chastened in the present, but it can lead to positive outcomes. Romans 5:3-4 tells us a similar thing. We should be happy for tribulation because it leads to patience, which leads to experience, resulting in hope. Another way of putting this in modern terms is "no pain no gain."
Life is like a roller-coaster ride. There are ups and downs. But Scripture makes it clear that the downs we experience might be the best way we can learn the lessons God needs us to learn for the work that will come in the future. Use the hard times as proof God is working with you. You know what's coming, and the tough stuff is part of the process.
For many people, the hard times can lead to a loss of motivation to follow God. Just like ancient Israel lost their motivation when they saw Pharoah's army coming after them (Exodus 14:11), the same can happen to us when hard times come. We need to hold fast despite our carnal nature. Remembering these biblical examples can help motivate us to stand firm and faithful and wait on the Lord.