Motivation alone doesn’t get you there, but it sure is a great start. What you need to keep you going is discipline. We know this is true because motivation is usually associated with the excitement behind why we start something. When that initial buzz is gone, what else do we rely on?
More Than Motivation
Motivation reminds me of the Pharisees, who Jesus called out in Matthew 23:5. They did everything so that people could see. It’s like that motivational quote you post on Mondays but then your Tuesday looks like nothing changed. We want acknowledgement, but when no one is looking, we sometimes fail to do the work.
Jesus wasn’t talking about motivation, per se, in this chapter. However, he was addressing the intentions of the Pharisees. In verse 26, he calls them out and says they should clean out their insides before they worry about the outside.
I believe motivation and discipline are closely associated with this warning. Discipline is what we build on the inside while motivation is what’s displayed on the outside. Like the whitewashed tombs, motivation just looks pretty on the outside. If our discipline doesn’t match our outward motivation, then we are in trouble.
Preparation
Chapter 25 in the book of Matthew also leads me to reflect on motivation. It’s the parable of the ten virgins. Now, Jesus used parables to illustrate spiritual lessons. The spiritual lesson here is about the kingdom of God, but I see a lesson on motivation versus discipline illustrated as well.
I can see how all ten of the virgins could’ve been motivated about the bridegroom coming. But only five of the virgins were wise and took oil along with their lamps (Matthew 25:4). They were disciplined and prepared adequately. The other five were foolish and did not bring the oil. Maybe they lost motivation in the wait. So when they went to look for oil at the last minute, it was too late because the bridegroom had arrived, and they missed the banquet.
Closing Out Matthew
As I close out this blog series in the book of Matthew, there is a lesson I take away for my spiritual journey. Not only do we need the right motivation, but also the discipline to keep going. It’s in the small moments when we can really move toward the right outcome. It is about the small choices that seem insignificant or that no one even notices. It is in the quiet times, when only God knows. Then maybe, when we’ve developed a discipline, we can push others with our external motivation.
Living Thirty Three 