A long, long time ago in a town far, far away the congregation that I was working with decided to have a "gospel" meeting. The meeting was to last from Sunday night to Thursday night and everyone was expected to invite someone to the service. My youngest son was around three or four at the time and on the first night of the meeting sat with one of the elders and his wife while Kathy and I were working with the older children in a separate Bible Hour.
The crowd the first night was decent, but rather disappointing to the leadership. The speaker for the meeting began to encourage everyone to bring someone to the meeting the next night. He talked about asking your neighbors and those with whom you worked. He preached about how it's really not that hard to just ask. They could say yes and come or not come or at worst just say no.
All the time my son was looking down at some papers, drawing as he sat quietly between the elder and his wife. Then came the challenge. The preacher talked about the motivation we have to ask others to come. He ended with the mock challenge, "I'll bet if we gave you a hundred dollars for bringing a visitor to the meeting that every one of you would bring someone, wouldn't you!
My son, head down, drawing, without looking up spoke up loud enough for the preacher and those several rows around to hear, "NOPE!" The preacher was stopped dead in his words and there was a momentary pause before several around broke into laughter, including the preacher.
The preacher turned to the audience and said, "Well maybe not everyone, but I bet most of you would!"
What is it that motivates us to do good works? Does it take a challenge? Does it take a good talking too? Does it take money? Or is it something deeper? Is it something that grows within us and just makes us want to do good?
The answer is simple. We do good because that is what we were created to do! Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
That's really all the motivation we should need. Simply that God asks us to.
(Image courtesy of http://www.clipartheaven.com/)
The crowd the first night was decent, but rather disappointing to the leadership. The speaker for the meeting began to encourage everyone to bring someone to the meeting the next night. He talked about asking your neighbors and those with whom you worked. He preached about how it's really not that hard to just ask. They could say yes and come or not come or at worst just say no.
All the time my son was looking down at some papers, drawing as he sat quietly between the elder and his wife. Then came the challenge. The preacher talked about the motivation we have to ask others to come. He ended with the mock challenge, "I'll bet if we gave you a hundred dollars for bringing a visitor to the meeting that every one of you would bring someone, wouldn't you!
My son, head down, drawing, without looking up spoke up loud enough for the preacher and those several rows around to hear, "NOPE!" The preacher was stopped dead in his words and there was a momentary pause before several around broke into laughter, including the preacher.
The preacher turned to the audience and said, "Well maybe not everyone, but I bet most of you would!"
What is it that motivates us to do good works? Does it take a challenge? Does it take a good talking too? Does it take money? Or is it something deeper? Is it something that grows within us and just makes us want to do good?
The answer is simple. We do good because that is what we were created to do! Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
That's really all the motivation we should need. Simply that God asks us to.
(Image courtesy of http://www.clipartheaven.com/)
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