What are you looking forward to today? Is it a well-planned, earned vacation? Maybe a new car that you have ordered with all of its bells and whistles customized for you? Possibly that highly coveted dream home you have imagined? Perhaps the anticipation of an upcoming event this summer propels you from one day to the next.

What motivates you from today to tomorrow? Are you focused on the outcome of a major project? Each day as you purchase the groceries, fuel your vehicle, prepare meals, brush your teeth, shave or whatever your daily routine includes, what drives you ahead to the next task?

I understand that some days are so busy there is not time to think about motivation, or lack of push to the next task. It becomes automatic. One thing leads to another, which leads to another and so on and so on. It causes me to think of a rat race.

According to Merriam Webster (http://www.merriam-webster.com) rat race means, “a way of life in which people are caught up in a fiercely competitive struggle for wealth or power: they quit the rat race in order to live a simple life…”  This phrase was first coined here in American in the aftermath of the stock market crash of October 1929. More than half of the United States’, 25,000 banks failed, and unemployment was tremendously high during this period. By 1939 the rat race still existed although the economy was changing, individuals were basically working night and day just to keep their heads above water. Like being trapped on a continuous treadmill with no end in sight just to make ends meet. 

Are you involved in a rat race–constantly in motion, trying to get ahead, void of lasting peace and a knowing that you are contributing to a valuable big picture? Can you see where you fit and how you fit into your purpose for living? Why were you born? Why be concerned with getting up in the morning? What’s the use?

Many, far too many, join the rat race early keeping pace as long as they can, looking forward to retirement, then they stop living; they physically remove their focus from life and die!

Work is important, scripture talks about the value of work. (See 2 Thessalonians chapter three) Jesus the Christ even worked as a carpenter. He supported His earthly family through those efforts as well.

The scripture does not define us by job duties, titles or career paths. While these do matter, I believe they matter more to men than they do to God. An instance of the person’s importance outweighing their job title is mentioned in James chapter two. A woman known as a harlot was able to show her faithfulness to God. The twelve that walked with Jesus were not necessarily the crème de la crème, as far as their jobs or stations in the community were concerned. Yet their primary focus was not that type of work, with the sweat of their brows.

Their important work, and ours has to do with operating in the commandment of loving our neighbors as ourselves. We are to focus on our spiritual lives first and foremost. We are admonished to seek first the kingdom in Matthew 6:33. We are also repeatedly told to love our neighbors as ourselves. Not only are we told explicitly, it is also modeled for us countless times, including the love our Maker has shown us through is Son Jesus the Christ.

There are innumerable examples of our loving and righteous Father loving us, before, during and after our sin. Each of us, if we think back over our lives, well even today, can recall a situation where God loved us even though we missed the mark. His love is so strong for us and His desire to meet our needs is so undeniable we must move beyond the flesh to better appreciate and serve Him.

If this is all there is, this rat race, the things that we can acquire here on earth, I suppose we all must accelerate our pace on the treadmill. However, in Matthew 6:19 to 21 we are cautioned, “Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.” (The Message Version)

Our eyes are best placed where we want to be, and will end up being! That is the perfect motivation!

I heard someone quote a world-class marathon runner who said, “When you run act as if the ocean is pulling you.” What a powerful word picture that was for me. Instead of pushing ourselves, forcing ourselves, or driving ourselves toward our purpose here on earth and God’s kingdom what if we act as if God is pulling us toward our destinies; at His right hand. In John 12: 32 we see that Jesus has promised to draw all men to Himself.

With The Omnipotent God lovingly drawing us to Him what better focus can we have than Him and His righteousness!

Take Inventory and Take Action! Make adjustments if you need to, and then keep your eyes on the place where your treasure does not succumb to moth, rust or thieves!

 Love,

Deborah

“Lighting the path to loving your neighbor as yourself.”