I Had a Dream
No doubt because of my profession and passion, I have had recurring dreams (nightmares!) about church services that have gone horribly wrong. In these dreams I am often ill-prepared, improperly dressed, or late, and things in the service are chaotic.
I had one of these dreams the other night. I was in a church (not RUC) that was populated mainly by older folk, except for a teenager using a weed-eater while to was trying to talk (someone interpret that for me!!), and I was dressed in my running gear (the plot thickens!). I was seeking to motivate this congregation to deeper discipleship and greater involvement in the church. Then, thankfully, I woke up.
The following morning as I was running, I began reflecting on my dream (nightmare) and on what it does take to motivate God’s people to deeper discipleship and involvement in ministry. Over the years I have discovered, from personal experience and from observing others, that there are several motivation methods that don’t work, even though they continue to be used. One is guilt (or shame). Shaming or guilt-tripping people may work for a while, but it does not produce sustained change. Another is ‘the big stick’, or clobbering people with the truth to make them feel so sinful and bad that they want to change. This doesn’t work either. And then there’s the ‘God-told-me’ trick. Sure, we must clearly proclaim what God has said in his Word and call people to obedience, but using the ‘personal-message-from-heaven’ method to add weight to our message is manipulative and will soon wear thin. And then there’s the ‘hype’ method in which clever oratory and various bells and whistles are employed to stir the emotions of people and get them all revved up. It will work for a time, but then you’ve got to come up with an even bigger ‘hype’ next time to achieve the same effect.
After trying many methods myself, and watching others do the same, I have concluded that “Christ’s love” must be the chief motivation behind all our obedience, sacrifice, and service. Here’s how the apostle Paul put it in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15—“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”
German Count Zinzendorf one day stood gazing at a vivid painting of Jesus on the cross. On a tiny plaque attached to the bottom of the frame was the question: “All this I did for you; what will you do for me?” That question stabbed his heart and, motivated by the realization of Jesus’ love and sacrifice for him, he gave the rest of his life to the sacrificial service of Jesus.
What we need (what I need) is to gaze at the cross more. The more clearly I see Christ’s love for me, the more I will want to love and serve him in return. “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.”