More Vertical Motivators

The two vertical motivators for today: The Fear of the Lord and Rewards. Fear is a negative and a positive when we live in fear our bodies respond in very unhealthy ways. It causes sleeplessness and anxiety which can cause loss of focus and so many other things. I used to live with anxiety and have even been to the emergency room with it in the past. I thought I was having a heart attack. But a fear of God is a healthy thing. We have to live in relationship. We are designed to live in one with Him. It’s a lot like marriage people do things in our marriage sometimes in fear that if they don’t the marriage is less than it was meant to be. [I have watched many couple strive to have children thinking it would solve some issue in the marriage. The truth is what is missing is a relationship with Jesus that both individuals have and then one that they share together. When we understand that God is the only one who is ever going to meet all our needs it removes burdens our spouses are never meant to carry. I also understand that the desire to have a child is natural but I also know my God he will gives gifts accordingly and in His own time. Even Hannah’s prayers for Samuel were not answered immediately she had been to the temple many other times. God gave her Samuel when she was willing to give Him to God.]  Scripture tells us to, “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.”  (Philippians 2:12) God has given us a plan for salvation it can be scary to put all of our lives in the hand of someone we cannot see and in some instances cannot feel. But the desire to serve the Creator is built into each of us fear of not having relationship draws us to him.

The second motivator is rewards; Scripture is very adamant about the potential rewards that await those who faithfully serve God. But the rewards are not based on what you have done they are based on your faithfulness to Jesus Christ and your service to The Kingdom of God. When you read Matthew 25:14-30, “¹⁴ “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. ¹⁶ The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. ¹⁷ So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. ¹⁸ But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. ¹⁹ “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ ²¹ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ ²² “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ ²³ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ ²⁴ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵ So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ ²⁶ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? ²⁷ Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. ²⁸ “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. ²⁹ For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ³⁰ And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ we see that the individuals who were faithful to the master are rewarded well. That is what we need to consider in our work for God are we doing just to do or are we following his leadership. Have a Blessed day in the Lord.