3 Same Question posed by different people- What Will I get?

I was thinking on this important question that pointed to my motive and I had to take pause to really find the true answer. I implore that you give some thought to the same and check your heart status. What motivates you to do something that is basically maybe your obligation and then, what are the things you want to explore for obtaining reward & recognition? It can be frustrating at some point to keep doing things and not being rewarded or recognized, especially when it is not done for yourself. Psychologists name these two factors that motivates a person to do what he is doing as, Intrinsic motivation and Extrinsic motivation.The external factors like incentives, position, recognition, salary are examples of extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation are the values you hold on to, a greater satisfaction you receive through your deliberations, the divine excitements you derive by doing something worthwhile. Here are the three people who posed this same question in a different context. It has a deeper revelation on the Motive itself.

1. David posed this shrewd question to the intimidated soldiers who were on the battleground, “..What is the reward for killing Goliath?..” 1 Sam 17:26. David was aware how skillful he was using the sling and how God helped him to save the sheep from the mouth of the lion and the bear while tending his flock. Moreover. Therefore, David wasn’t prepared to do it for free. 1 Sam 17:25 describes the prize money which says that the successful person will be enriched with great riches and will get the king's daughter. What is worth doing should have value, failing which it can devalue or undervalue the act itself. And no doubt David followed the "same as" principle when it came to paying the cost to buy the field of Araunah for worshiping God. He did not purchase it for free. (2 Sam 24:24).

2. Judas question to the High priest “What are you willing to give me if I hand him (Jesus) over to you? Mat 26:15. The story that talks about a man who spent the years with Jesus and  also held a prime position in the team as a treasurer managing the accounts yet traded Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. This is still happening in Christendom where so-called Christians and leaders are using Gospel for the means of amassing wealth & status. Today this question is asked again and again subtly with all kinds of motives. Can we give a serious thought to this?

3 Peter posed this question, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?” Mat 19:27. An honest question from Apostle Peter who echoed on behalf of other disciples. Now we all know what he meant when Peter and other disciples meant when it was said they have left everything including their loved ones. Jesus ensured that they will be greatly honored in eternity.

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Has God displaced you from your familiar environment?

I don't like to stay on the edge at all times (I don't think anyone would like that for that matter). I lived in the top most of the time and I know the  way I was used by God and able to create an impact was beyond my imagination. But now when my journey in the wilderness keep protracting, I can't help, but ask what is God trying to do with me? People around me, those who know me, think they have all the answers concerning me. Their assumptions, calculations seem to match when they happen to look at my current status. But is that all true? How do we understand God's purpose in such a dark situation, when we are looking for an answer? In Isaiah 42:6 it says, “I am the Lord. I have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will hold you by your hand. I will watch over you, and I will appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations". But the current situation seems quite the contrary.

I am guessing Moses would have gone through the similar emotions, after being in the palace for such a long time and then to spend next forty years in the wilderness. What a contrast? Guillermo Maldonado puts this so perfectly, "When God calls someone for an unusual purpose, He often removes them from their familiar environment. This happened to Moses. The Lord needed him so He had to take Moses out of the comfort of Pharaoh’s palace, lead him to the desert, and then have him return to deliver the people of Israel from Egypt’s yoke".

You cannot juxtapose God's purpose with anything else however valuable it may be. His ways are sovereign. If you are going to be used for an unusual purpose, then the first thing God will do is to displace you from your familiar environment and train you to walk in the faith journey. God's way of operating things is rarely from the point of abundance but mostly from scarcity. Mission belongs to Him and He doesn't expect you and me to do a favor for him through our resources. He will take us through based on "one-day-at-a-time" model, and allow the sequence of miracles to follow, not necessarily your bags of resources are overflowing but His mission will get accomplished.

Sometimes every day and every month looks so challenging. In my case with scarcely much resources to take care of the upcoming needs, yet when I behold the way God takes care of the urgent needs for the month and for the day, it is just amazing.  One thing that I noticed is the amount of work I am able to accomplish for God in this current period from such a challenging point is beyond my comprehension. My capacity to write so much, (articles, blogs) creating a meticulous Ministry Blueprint for Churches, motivating young people to find purpose and align their journey accordingly through seminars is just mind blowing. The same God will get things accomplished through you when your commitment and willingness to reach out becomes significant.

Now I no longer pray God to take me out from this scary anxious way of living. I have learnt to trust God and exercise my faith on God. When I keenly observe, people with good resource system and status are increasingly becoming complacent and maintaining status quo compared to the ones who have barely anything, yet doing so much for him. Dear friends, there is hardly any time left. Let us learn to trust God and use our mission to integrate the full gospel and reach out, beyond our capacity and echo with what Apostle Paul who says, "But even if I am poured out as a drink offering on the sacrificial service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.". Philippians 2:17

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Do you add value to what you say?

We are constantly gauging, evaluating, estimating when others say something which either directly or indirectly matters to us, but hardly concerned about what we say and whether we are able to keep our word. Most often we say just for the sake of saying and it doesn’t bother us at all. This is almost true with most of the people including people who are in a leadership position, sadly Christian leaders are not exempted. With the growing communication platforms, by which I mean, social networks, like WhatsApp and similar chats we have not become any better. We use the same to evade, slip away, escape, procrastinate, hypocritically respond, maliciously pretend and disrespect people by ignoring them forthright but most often in a subtle manner.

I would like to quote a verse, “don’t say to your neighbor “Go away! Come back later, I’ll give it tomorrow” when it is there with you” Pro 3:28. I have observed that people are so accustomed to ignore people when they can actually respond courteously. I am using this in the context of communication. We are so used to saying “I’ll get back” and never feel an iota of guilt to know, that word has been given and they need to keep it. ‘Tomorrow’ for such people never comes.

Why are people not honest and open to communicate correctly? Did they truly forget or pretend they have forgotten because they are not interested for some reason, but not honest enough to express? Let’s know that relationships are built with honest communication. Sometimes I am even forced to wonder about their conviction. Are they using it for their convenience or simply go with their preferences and based on the scope for advantage? It is important to understand that each time we mess up in the way we communicate we distort the gospel and disrupt the relationship.

King David in his psalms talks about the ones who would qualify to stand in his holy presence, in Psalms 24:4 states “.. one who has not sworn deceitfully”, as one of the traits. But most of the people fall in between the two, which means they would neither promise nor say a forthright 'No'. They become deceptive in their responses. Sadly, most of the time Christians also make such politically correct statements.

Drawing out in the context of communication there is this next verse which states “Don’t withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them.”. Proverbs 3:28. Whether it is communication or when you can do something today do not postpone things, it is a bad example of leadership trait. 

It’s a leader’s responsibility to know the difference between right and wrong, no matter what anybody else says or does. You can never be right by doing wrong, and you can never be wrong by doing right. Let us not forget that we are all accountable and are judged for every careless word we speak. (Mat 12:37)

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