Motivated!

Motivated!

Acts 20:24 AMPC

[24] But none of these things move me; neither do I esteem my life dear to myself, if only I may finish my course with joy and the ministry which I have obtained from [which was entrusted to me by] the Lord Jesus, faithfully to attest to the good news (Gospel) of God's grace (His unmerited favor, spiritual blessing, and mercy).

Paul had gathered the elders of the church in Ephesus, and was reminding them about the important things to focus on. Here was a nan with a rich history of both the good and the bad; he had persecuted those who belonged to the kingdom of Jesus, and now he was promoting the principles of the same kingdom he had been persecuting. The church in Ephesus had seen firsthand the impact of the ministry of this man, and here he was, addressing the elders for the final time before heading to Jerusalem where he knew trouble and tough times awaited him. As God calls, equips and places men in our lives, we have to know that there is a time and a season for these interactions. One day comes when either we or these people will have to move on to other assignments, and when that time comes, can it be said of us that we focused on our assignment, and did our best with the grace that was supplied? 

The package of life for Christians involve a lot of rough and tough times. Nowhere does God promise that life will be smooth at all times; what He promises is His presence and power to enable me focus on what He has asked me to do. For Paul, that understanding was very clear. He had been told by the Holy Spirit that troubles awaited him, but he also knew that as long as God was with him, he could look ahead with joy to all that was ahead of him. This attitude cannot be birthed and sustained by anything outside the hope and faith brought on by the presence of God. Nobody can give you these; a man can only give you what he already has or holds. How can a man consider his life nothing except he has found the true life that God offers? How can a man remain unmoved by trials, unless he has had an encounter with the immovable, immortal and Omnipotent God, who can make an eternal message from broken messes?

What lies at the end of the journey must be sufficient motivation for all of us. I must do the work in line with the will of the One who calls me to walk with and work for Him. The work is massive; the fields are ripe for harvest and God is looking for people who have an understanding of what is ahead, and who are available as labourers in His vineyard. Again, it has to be noted that God does not call a man and then leave him to fend for himself. All that I need for life and Godliness will be made available by the One who needs to get things done. I have to deal with distractions on my path to the fulfilment of God's divine mandate. With His supply, I can finish my course with joy; with His supply, I can finish the work of the ministry entrusted into my hands. The reward is for faithful service as required by God, not that celebrated by men. What is your motivation? God's time of favour is here.