What Are Some of the Ways to Motivate People for Greater Commitment? - Rom. 12:1
It is amazing how so many are motivated to greater levels of performance in their jobs, athletics or relationships, for personal advantage. We see examples of athletes who make tremendous sacrifices to win games that are soon forgotten by the vast majority in less than a month’s time. Yet, it seems to be increasingly difficult to motivate people to higher levels of spiritual commitment in terms of their personal devotions or their service in the church. Paul provides us with an answer to this problem in Romans 12:1 by giving us seven reasons why we should present our bodies as living sacrifices to God. Let us see what we can learn from a man who practiced precisely what he preached.
1. Paul kindly addressed his readers as brethren as an indication that motivation begins with a loving relationship. People really don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Unless we have a good rapport with people it is difficult to motivate them. When you seek to motivate people to higher levels of commitment ask the Lord to give you a special love for them that flows from a Spirit empowered concern for their best interests. People can tell if you are genuinely concerned about them because they can sense it your manner. Paul beseeched the brethren indicating that he entreated them with a genuine tone of affection and gentle persuasion. Ask the Lord to give you this approach in the tone of your voice, in your gestures and in your facial expressions. 93% of our communications involves non-verbal cues that people understand through intuitive senses. The Spirit of God is able to give this to anyone who is genuinely concerned about bringing people to a higher level of spiritual commitment to Christ and His kingdom priority purposes.
2. Paul’s first word is “therefore” because he wants to base his appeal on the sovereign control and character of God referred to in Romans 11:33-36. The more people become intimately acquainted with God’s sovereign character and purpose the more apt they are to commit to His plan for their life. Refer people to the Biblical portrayal of the sovereign God if you want them to grow in their commitment to His will for their relationships, activities and personal concerns. In the past 50 years, more than 4 billion people have heard the gospel through the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, particularly through the use of the Jesus film. Bill and Vonette Bright, the founder of this fine organization, attributed their vision to winning the world to Christ to a woman who offered herself as a living sacrifice as their Sunday School teacher – Henrietta Mears. In 1928, Mears accepted a job offer that would change her life. Two years before, Mears and her sister, Margaret, had heard and visited Dr. Stewart MacLennan, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, California. He wanted Henrietta to be the director of Christian education at his church. When she arrived, Sunday School attendance was 450. Within two and a half years, the classes grew to more than 4000. Mears thoughts the curriculum available was unattractive (no pictures) and deficient (no continuity). So Mears wrote her own. Soon other churches wanted to use her teaching materials. Mears founded Gospel Light Publications in 1933 to meet that need. But her dreaming wasn’t over. In 1939 Mears established Forest Home Conference Center for young people to learn the Bible in a beautiful setting. When numerous requests came in from countries around the world, Mears launched Gospel Light International. She said, “When I consider my ministry, I think of the world. Anything less than that would not be worthy of Christ, nor of his will for my life.” Her vision of conquering the world for Christ influenced the vision of such notables as Billy Graham, Bill and Vonette Bright and US Senate chaplain Richard Halverson. She said, “It is my business to instill a divine discontent for the ordinary. Only the best possible is good enough for God. Can you say, ‘God, I have done all that I can?” This beloved Teacher whose teaching methods transformed Christian education, certainly could say yes to that question, what about you?
3. Paul bases his appeals on the mercies of God since we all tend to take for granted His benevolence. When we comprehend God’s mercies we become more aware of how utterly dependent we are on the Lord for every good thing. People who fully appreciate God’s loving-kindness can reciprocate in kind. Individuals who know more about God’s willingness to condescend to hear our problems are more compelled to offer themselves up for sacrificial service. When you consider all that the Lord has done for you through Jesus Christ it seems like a small thing to give yourself completely to Him.
4. Paul bases his appeal on the fact that Christ sacrificed Himself for us by going all the way to Calvary. When we consider how much Christ sacrificed for us in coming from heaven to die a painful death on the cross and to be betrayed by His own people, no sacrifice will seem to great. Christ sacrificed his body by enduring the agony of being whipped, beaten and nailed to a cruel cross for the sake of the sins of the whole world. Consider Him when you are growing weary in well doing. (Heb. 12:3)
5. Paul bases his appeal on the fact that presenting our bodies is merely a reasonable expression of our spiritual worship. Those who fail to offer themselves as a living sacrifice are being unreasonable, ungrateful and disobedient. People who fail to offer themselves as a living sacrifice are deficient in the way they worship God. Inadequate worship displeases God because it indicates that we are holding back something that really belongs to Him. When people fail to wholeheartedly worship God they tend to find other things to give their allegiances to. This often results in self-destructive behavior. Jesus said, “Those who worship God must worship Him in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24) It is not enough to just worship God with part of our life or talents or resources. True worship involves the sacrifice of everything that we have. God wants the energies of our body, soul and mind to be consecrated to His service. Do not think that insincere worship will suffice. Our sacrifice must be empowered by the Spirit of God otherwise it is something merely motivated by the flesh.
6. Paul bases his appeal on the fact we are to consistently present our bodies as a living sacrifice. The problem with a living sacrifice, as opposed to a dead one, is that it tends to crawl off the altar. People are often fickle. Most of us grow hot and cold in our commitment. It is for this reason that we must continually, daily, and on a moment by moment basis offer ourselves to God for His pleasure, purpose and glory. A living sacrifice offers God one’s thoughts, feelings and behavior as we press on for the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
7. Paul bases his appeal on the love of God. There is a direct proportion to how much we love God and the level of our spiritual commitment. When we love the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength and mind, it will follow that we will want to present ourselves to God for service along with our resources. The love of God knows no bears all of our failings, it believes in us regardless of our mistakes, it inspires us with hope in the darkness of situations, it endures with us in our loneliness hour. His love for us never fails when everyone else eventually will. Paul wrote, “The love of Christ constrains me.” When you really appreciate the breadth, length, height and depth of His love for you then you will grow in your motivation to offer yourself as a living sacrifice holy and pleasing to God.
