"See to it brothers that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God." Hebrews 3:12
Sin has the power to make us turn away from God. When we sin we don’t even want to believe that God exists. If we are to have victory over sin in our life we have to make sure that our motivation isn’t lacking. People are often motivated to change sin in their life because they are tired of reaping the consequesces of that sin. (guilt, debt, broken relationships, etc.) As Christians we must seek higher motivation.
1. GRACE
"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldy passions, and to live self controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.."
Titus 2:11-12
What does this passage mean for the Christian struggling with sin? How does grace motivate us? We typically think of God’s grace to mean salvation. But it is so much broader than that. God’s grace is expressed to you by every good thing that you have. Understanding grace means learning gratitiude. Gratitude means to be happy. It sounds almost too simple, but happy Christians triumph over sin. If you are looking for victory in righteousness, learn to be a happy Christian. A happy Christian is motivated.
Practically: struggling with sin? write out a list of 1000 blessings that God has given you. It’s hard work but worth it. Why do we have to lose our health before we get grateful for it? Why do we have to lose our wallet before we’re so happy to have it? Get grateful now not later.
2. Jesus
People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything well," they said. "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."
Mark 7:37
We are motivated by people that we admire. Young athletes are motivated by what Michael Jordan, Peyton Manning and Tiger Woods have to say because they want to be like them. Christians love Jesus, but do they admire him? Scholars are motivated by other great scholars, businessmen are motivated by more successful businessmen. To be motivated by Christ means that we must admire him. Imagine someone you look up to and admire tells you to stop losing your temper, to listen more, to avoid places where you might struggle with sin. Now imagine how that makes you feel. Don’t just say you love Jesus, admire him so much that you want to be like him. That’s higher motivation.
Practically:
write a list of people that you truly admire. Then write what qualities you admire about them. Now try and see those qualities in Jesus.
