Motivate!

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.

Hebrews 10:23-24

 

What motivates you?  Someone who tells you where to go and what to do, or someone who goes with you and shares the task?  What motivates you to help someone?  The person who demands, or the person you truly care about?

 

Years ago, during the summer break, I would cut grass.  And it was miserably hot out.  I took a bit of a break because I knew our mail carrier was just around the corner so I waited.  When he rolled up, I walked out to get the mail from him and noticed that he was sweating profusely.  I asked him how much longer he had to stay out in the heat.  He said, "Until all my mail is delivered."  The next day, I put a bottle of water in the freezer so it would be truly ice cold.  When I heard that distinctive growl of the mail truck, I took the frozen bottle out and put it in the mailbox with a note letting him know how much I appreciated him.  

 

Small acts of kindness, help and encouragement are the best.  If we do things to be seen and get a lot of credit, we are not acting as God's ambassadors. When asks "Why do you do these things?" our answer should be "God loves me so much that I get to love other people."

 

I encourage you to do something to help others today.  Make it a habit.  

It's All About Relationship

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Hebrews 10:24-25

Part of my job is to provide a bit of perspective and offer things to be pondered.  Today is no exception.

Consider this for a moment, whilst you await the coffee to take hold: We are, by nature, social beings.  We thrive on relationships.  We seek out relationships.  And, if we are smart, we build lasting relationships.

We have relationships with our families.  We have relationships with our friends.  We have relationships with our co-workers.  We have relationships with the people who help us in stores and shops and the mechanic and the postal delivery person and the person who delivers your packages and even your neighbors.  We NEED relationships.  And the better the relationship the stronger it will become.  

One of the most enjoyable parts of my job is that I get to watch the interactions between Law Enforcement and the Communities.  Let me just say this, the deputies who have invested the time and effort to build a relationship of mutual respect and trust with the communities have seem to have fewer issues to deal with within their communities.  Why? Because the community members are willing to help the deputies keep their communities safe!

So to all newer deputies, invest the time and effort to cultivate and build relationships.

And on a little different front, I hear churches wonder why church membership is not growing as quickly as they would like.  I have a perspective on that as well: reach outside the walls and build relationships.  Don't start with "ARE YOU SAVED?".  Let's face it, you don't drop a seed in the ground and expect an apple tree to throw dirt clods so it can grow and apples to appear.  Each relationship must be planted, cultivated, nurtured and built.  And as a result, others will see the relationship and become interested.  People will want to know why your relationships are so strong and long lasting and close!  Why are you willing to do for others when there is no benefit to yourself?  Why are you accepting of people who have done life wrong for so many years?  Why are you different? (I'm not different, I prefer the term "odd" or "weird."  I'm not wealthy enough to be "eccentric.").

Think about it!  Motivate each other to relationships and you will begin to see a change for the better.