Friday, February 16, 2024

If we’re being honest, we could all use extra motivation in our lives. In our society, it is easy to get caught up in the world and put off performing intentional acts of good works for one another. Whether this is helping a friend in their time of need, serving in the church, or loving people even when it is difficult, there is always something that we could do to shine light into the lives of others.

Sometimes motivation and endurance wane when we feel our good works are neither acknowledged nor appreciated. But remember, it is God we serve, and he sees everything we do and hears every prayer we pray. When we serve others, we share Jesus’ love out of appreciation for the sacrifice he made for us. Plus we’re planting seeds in the hearts of those we serve.

And just as the Holy Spirit encourages us, we should spur on and hold each other accountable for being good stewards of our time and hearts.

Hebrews 10:24
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.

How exactly can we motivate one another to acts of love and good service? Thankfully, there are plenty of ways we can put this into action. We all have different spiritual gifts that we can use to uplift and motivate each other.

One of my spiritual gifts is encouragement. I like to send people letters and cards to uplift them when they are feeling discouraged. Another great way to offer and receive motivation is through fellowship, such as attending a Group. When you connect with a group of like-minded individuals who love Christ, you belong to a community of people who support each other and with whom you can have honest conversations when you feel stagnant or discouraged.

Let us remember to take heart in the fact that while we may not see the fruit of our actions on this side of heaven, we will reap a bountiful harvest and see the bigger picture of bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to earth when the time comes to join our Father.

Galatians 6:9
So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

Questions:
What are your spiritual gifts? How can you use them to serve and motivate others?

Remember a time when you encouraged or motivated someone? How did it make you feel?

Next Steps:
Join a Group to connect with a community of other followers of Christ that will encourage and uplift you as you navigate through your adventure with Jesus.

Make an intentional point this week to reach out to someone with words of encouragement.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for sacrificing your only begotten son on the cross to give me the opportunity for eternal life with you. Help me to remain motivated while serving others, especially when I feel underappreciated or like I’m just going through the motions. Help me to encourage others to keep performing acts of kindness and good works. In Jesus’ name, amen.

This post was written by Isabelle Billnitzer, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut.