Authentic: What's My Motivation?

Mike Rowe made a name for himself by seeking out jobs that are dirty, overlooked, or taken for granted, and shining a spotlight on them through his Discovery Channel show, “Dirty Jobs”. From sewage to animal control to crawling underground in tight spaces, the tag line goes, “It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it!”

I think it was more than the shocking nature of the things he did that made the show so popular. Rowe highlighted the importance of jobs that many people really don’t want to do, or even know about, and brought endless curiosity to bear on these dirty jobs. He treated the workers with dignity and respect, and his self-deprecating humor is entertaining, also!

Some of the dirty jobs Mike Rowe showed us are Sewer Inspector, Snake Researcher, Cow Inseminator, Concrete Chipper, and Shark Suit Tester.

These are not jobs on the list of our 8th grade vocational goals. There are not many college majors that specifically prepare you to do these things.

But the people he interviews are people who love what they do, and seem to love every minute of it. They follow the old adage, “Find something you love to do, and you’ll never work a day in your life.”

They have the proper motivation.

In our walk through the Old Testament Minor Prophets, we’ve finished the prophets that preached before the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. We call those prophets “pre-exilic”, because after 586, the Babylonians took the best and brightest of Israel into exile in Babylon.
Haggai prophesied to a group of Jews who had returned from what had become the Persian Empire and they had begun to re-establish their lives in their homeland. The first round of return trips was in 539 BCE. Three leaders you might read about are Nehemiah, Ezra, and Zerubbabel. Nehemiah led the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem and the establishing of political leadership of the New Israel. Ezra found the old scrolls of the Law in the rubble and re-established Yahweh worship. Zerubbabel led the rebuilding of the temple.

But there was an issue. You can understand that the people were really focused on building their own houses and getting their livelihoods back in order. The problem Haggai pointed out is that they were content to build their houses, but overlooked the rebuilding of the temple.

Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?”
Haggai 1:3-4

The people were so focused on their own self-interests, not realizing that those things would never be enough for them.

This is the human condition. We get so wrapped up in establishing our lives that we respond to what God calls us to do with resistance or apathy. The truth is that we know what God wants us to do. We make nice signs to hang on the wall, and we put them on the floor mats to remind us of God’s expectation of every believer. But we find it hard to truly follow through on those things.

Love God. Love People. Make Disciples.

The people of Israel were to re-establish proper Yahweh worship in the temple, and then to recommit to faithfulness in their Covenant with Him.

We are not the nation of Israel, but I think at the heart of Haggai’s instruction is the question of motivation. Do I do “Churchy things” merely out of duty or habit, or because I have fond memories of church from my childhood? Or am I truly motivated by my love for God, my love for people, and my desire to make disciples?

Here’s a question you might ask your kids:
How would our church (or city) be different if church people focused less on making sure people follow norms of morality and more on loving God and people with a humble spirit?