What Really Motivates Us?

Asking for a friend… (which is code for; this applies to me, and perhaps you also).

We are good, and often quick to recognize what we believe the Holy Spirit directs us to do.

So, why do we leave room for discretion, if we fail to carry out basic biblical commandments as if we believe the Holy Spirit directed us NOT to be obedient to the commandments?

Consider a spectrum – one end is what the Holy Spirit is leading us to do (a subset) – on the other end are biblical commandments, principles, teachings (the larger set) i.e. things we should lean into because we’re commanded to – this is the baseline thought – this spectrum could considered on an individual, church or greater Christian community level.

In our Christian communities we often hear testimonies, or sharing of efforts and ministries the Holy Spirit motivated us to do – we also hear, come across, or are made aware of countless more ministry needs – these would be an illustration of our activities popping up (engaged or not engaged) on the spectrum we’re considering.

The spectrum would be (more or less) spotted with our ministry activities – the activities popping up would be a visual of what an individual, church or the greater Christian community believed they were motivated by the Holy Spirit to engage – but it could also establish what biblical commands (ministries) we missed, avoided, or chose not to engage.

And that (finally) is the question – as we are motivated by the Holy Spirit to engage in ministries we tend to testify and share (this is a good thing) – however, (considering the other end of the spectrum) there might be a number of biblical commands left unaddressed – in the same mantle of being motivated by the Holy Spirit, would we dare testify or share the Holy Spirit DID NOT motivate us to engage in those ministries as we went along our collective ways?   No, we would not.

But we would also be left with a dilemma – and that dilemma is whether we might find ourselves leaning more on our own discernment, rather than that Holy Spirits.

The truth is, no one can engage all the ministries we come across – there are simply too many, and often require specific skill sets – this is just a harsh fact of the world we live in – but we should take great care not to avoid the needs around us we are able to help, share, or engage – it is (after all) a biblical command.