What's Your Motivation? Written By Byron Washington

What's up good people?! We're doing things a bit different this week. A couple weeks ago, I was able to attend The Catalyst Conference in Atlanta. Wednesday evening was the Blogger's Meetup and there I was able to meet many bloggers. It wasn't just cool to put actual personalities with live bodies, but it was also cool to pick the brains of those who blog and are really successful at it. One blogger told me to not be afraid to switch things up a bit and have guest bloggers. This is exactly what I'm doing this week.

I have a guest blogger who has contributed this post to Simply Dondrae this week. It's a great friend of mine, Byron Washington. Byron and I met back in 2003 through a mutual friend of ours, Martin Copeland (who doesn't know yet, but he'll be guest blogging for me VERY soon...haha). We all attended the Impact Conference in D.C. Since then, Byron has accomplished many great things. He has earned a couple degrees, done many speaking engagements, preached, wrote a book, and the biggest of them all; GOT MARRIED TO PHENOMENAL WOMAN, RACHEL! Byron Washington is an author, youth mentor, minister and husband who wants to see people changed and empowered through the Word of God.

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me-Romans 7:18-20, 21 (NIV)

What is your motivation for doing the right thing?

Some Christians would give the typical “Christian” response and say, “I do not want to offend God,” or maybe, “Because I do not want to go to hell.” Both of those are good responses, but let’s be honest, do those things actually motivate or push most Christians to actually do the right thing? I would venue to say probably not. Think about it. The last time you decided to do something wrong, you knew it was not a good thing, you knew it was not pleasing to God and if Jesus came back while you were in your sinful condition you could have gone to hell. Yet and still you did it anyhow.

The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened-Proverbs 10:27

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death-Proverbs 14:27

Most Christians talk about doing the right things; however, God is probably not the top motivating force for many of us. Why? Because very few, if any of us, have actually seen God pour out his wrath. Trust me, if fornicators, liars, adulterers, or gossipers started getting consumed by fire from heaven, I’m telling you people would change their whole way of living. But, because God is not currently doing that, people ignore his judgment and think they can do what they want and just repent about it later.

Should that be the case? No. But for many people it is. So my question is this…what is your true motivation for doing what is right? Many people do not do certain things because they fear going to jail, or fear being exposed. You choose not to let your flesh lead you down that path because it will destroy your marriage, or it could be harmful to your children. Or you do not want to lose your job or destroy people’s perception of you. See many of us are motivated to do right, because of those things around us that are tangible. Is this problematic? It depends.

Take a moment this week and write down the things that you struggle with, that you constantly fight against and be honest with yourself, what motivates you to stay away from those things? What makes you say no, to going back to the bar? What makes you walk away from that old girlfriend who keeps calling you and you are married? What makes you walk away from the computer and not look at pornography?

Find out what truly motivates you, then begin to seek God and ask Him 1.) to continue to help you be victorious over the traps and enticements of this world, 2.) ask God to help you make Him your top priority for not yielding to sin. And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”-Genesis 39:7-9

God should be our top reasons for not indulging in sin. These other options are good, but God should be the main reason.

Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments-Psalm 112:1

Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways-Psalm 128:1

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding-Proverbs 9:10

So what’s your motivation for doing what’s right?