Motivation doesn’t really care about what, how much, or how long you do stuff; it only cares about why you do it. A recent conversation with a Christian friend brought this fact to the forefront. This person is generally kind and caring, outgoing, God-fearing, but in this case is also an ex-Seventh-day Adventist.
I needed to know more than just the list of things that happened, I needed to know why! They were still a Christian, they were still in a Christian church, they are still outgoing, still God-fearing, but something else caused them to switch belief systems.
Why? What was the motivation? It was because someone had them convinced using “select” scriptures that those who are not saved will burn alive forever in an eternally-burning Hell, and that all they needed to do to escape that was accept Jesus free gift of salvation, and then they would be eternally-saved, regardless of what they did from that moment going forward. But since they are irrevocably saved forever, why are they still so fearful of an eternal Hell? Could it be that there is a missing factor that their conscience and the Holy Spirit is trying to tell them?
It is the motivational factor of Love! Two people can do the same exact things: one is motivated by love, but the other is doing the same thing out of fear. One would be a happy fulfilled person with God in Heaven forever, but the other would be eternally miserable in Heaven. Why?
A trade had taken place as they switched belief systems. They traded away being motivated by a loving God for a lie motivated by demons. The lie is that you can claim irrevocable salvation without having to surrender yourself or your sins at the foot of the cross. But then you also end up trading away justified punishment of the unrepentant wicked in a temporary Hell by a loving God, for an eternal Hell where the wicked are tortured in fire forever by a cruel vengeful god.
What does motivation have to do with it? Everything…and the consequences may be eternal.