Motivated by the Holy Spirit

Motivated by the Holy Spirit

motivated by the Holy SpiritWhat motivates you? Inner motivation beats outer motivation. So if you only do things because other people tell you so, your New Year resolutions won’t last. But if you really want change yourself, you have better chance to succeed. So it is in our spiritual life. It does matter what/who we are motivated by.

Watchman Nee points out “Many saints cannot distinguish inspiration from emotion. Actually, these two can be defined readily. Emotion always enters from man’s outside, whereas inspiration originates with the Holy Spirit in man’s spirit.” Emotions are not trustworthy leaders, they provide only outer motivation. On the other hand, inspiration originates with the Holy Spirit in our spirit and so provides the best kind of motivation.

My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence? (Gal. 5:16-18, MSG, emphasis added,*)

Be motivated by the Holy Spirit

The best kind of motivation comes from the Holy Spirit. If we want what’s best for us, we regularly place ourselves at the feet of Jesus to be filled with the Spirit. Paul urges us “live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit”. That’s how we need to live. And that’s how we will live the best life.

God wants to motivate us. We only need to seek him and be responsive to his guidance, and then we will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature of ours. Then we will be motivated by the Holy Spirit instead. We learn it by practicing it. So learn to surrender to God each morning. Today is a wonderful day to start to practice this. Then every day you will be living free, animated and motivated by the Holy Spirit. Nothing better, my friend. Nothing better.

 

Gracious God,
Thank you for sending us the Holy Spirit.
We want to live freely, animated and motivated by the Spirit.
Hence, we surrender to you daily
and ask you to fill us with the Holy Spirit.
Change us, renew us, motivate us.
Use us according to your plan for each of us.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: Who motivates you?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you as life freely, animated and motivated by the Holy Spirit!

* [As you might have noticed, I enjoy reading the Bible in different translations and love comparing them. I have started linking the Bible verses toBiblegateway.com so you can easily read (and compare) them in the different versions I’ve used while preparing each post.].

Photo by Stephen Leonardi on Unsplash. Linking up today with Dance with JesusFive-minute Friday.

6 thoughts on “Motivated by the Holy Spirit

  1. “Live freely, motivated and animated by the Spirit”. Yes, Mari-Anna. I still struggle with selfish impatience. Surrender each day all the fleshy desires is sound Godly advice. Thank you, my writing friend for sharing your passionate living of His truth. Your Neighbor today and sister in Christ always, Julie

  2. Great inspiration. I always want to be motivated by the Holy Spirit but struggle with my own desires. I long for the day when my desires are the same as the desires of the Holy Spirit all the time.

  3. Yup… We’ve got to mine our motives, all the time! Submitting to the Spirit is something I often struggle with. It’s getting more natural, but it certainly takes practice, patience, and paying attention! Blessings as you follow where the Spirit leads!

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