Luke 19:45-48 — Motivation Assessment

READ THIS: Luke 19:45-48

45 When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. 46 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” 

47 Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. 48 Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.

WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?

Did you notice the difference between what motivated Jesus versus what motivated the religious leaders?

Jesus took a look at the temple, and He was outraged by the way people used the temple to make a profit, even though the temple was supposed to be a place to honor God.  Jesus was motivated to put a stop to the buying and selling because He wanted to honor God, no matter if it meant that people wouldn't like Him. 

The religious leaders looked at how Jesus was gaining in popularity and how He was calling them out and making them look bad, and they planned to kill Him. But, they hesitated because they didn't want the crowds to dislike them. 

The religious leaders weren't motivated by a desire to honor God. When we're motivated to honor God, we don't care about what other people think about us. Instead, we care the most about what God thinks and what would honor Him. If the religious leaders truly thought that Jesus was dishonoring God, and that was their prime motivation, then they would have stepped up against Jesus right at that moment...the way Jesus stepped up against the money-changers. 

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. What do you think motivates you the most in your life? Is it being liked? Getting money? Having followers? Jesus?
 
2. How do your actions show what motivates you?

TRY THIS:

Decide today what you want to be your motivation, and write it on your hand as a reminder. Continually ask yourself if what you're about to do or what you just did lines up with what you want your motivation to be. 

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