Motivated Spirituality part 1

In thinking about Spirituality we must ask the question: What motivates me?

Peter asked a question like this of Jesus in Matthew 19:27

Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?"

Basically he’s asking what’s in it for me? In a word Jesus says… just everything!!!

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Matthew 19:28
Over these next couple of blogs I would like to discuss Biblical Incentives for following hard after God.

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. Psalm 42:1

“People are motivated to satisfy their needs for security, significance, and satisfaction, but they turn to the wrong places to have their needs met.  This section presents the option of looking to Christ rather than the world to meet our needs.  A study of the Scriptures reveals a number of biblical motivators; these include fear, love and gratitude, rewards, identity, purpose and hope, and longing for God.  Our task is to be more motivated by the things God declares to be important than by the things the world says are important.” Dr. Ken Boa

So in John 6 Jesus is giving what are perceived as “hard” words… the response is 2-fold.

(1) From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.
(2) Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." John 6:66-69
In one of the Chronicles of Narnia stories CS Lewis brings this out in dialog between the Great Lion Aslan (Christ type) and a girl from our world named Jill.  Read it carefully.

"Are you not thirsty?" said the lion. "I’m dying of thirst," said Jill. "Then drink," said the lion. "May I- could I- would you mind going away while I do?" said Jill. The lion answered this only by a look and very low growl. As Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience. The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic. "Will you promise not to- do anything to me, if I do come?" said Jill. "I make no such promise," said the lion. Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer the lion. "Do you eat girls?" she said. "I have swallowed up, consumed girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms," said the lion. It didn’t say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it. "I daren’t come and drink," said Jill. "Then you will die of thirst," said the Lion. "Oh dear!" said Jill, coming another step nearer. "I suppose I must go and look for another stream then." The lion said, "There is no other stream."

·        C.S. Lewis "The Chronicles of Narnia"

So first we must say, as far as spiritual motivation goes, there’s NO other Option.  Now of course people turn to other things to motivate themselves in life and set up god-substitutes, that are unsatisfying, often enslaving and temporal in nature.