Motivation is a big industry in our world. Motivational speakers can be found in practically every hotel conference room peddling exciting stories to try and get people do something. I am motivated to do practically everything from losing weight so my wife won’t call me a slob to buying a home gym so I can have a muscular physique.

At this time of year we hear a lot about motivation for the football teams in the playoffs. Some teams are motivated to accomplish great things for history’s sake. Others are motivated by what another team said about them. And I’m just cynical enough to think that some players are even motivated to play at a high level because they want a hefty increase in that next contract they expect this summer.

In Matthew 28 Jesus tells us to go into all the world and make disciples. In spite of this great commission we don’t really seem motivated to do it. Why is that? Jesus is the one who said it after all. And if we claim to be followers of Jesus shouldn’t we be getting to work?

One of the things I’ve heard in interviews of football players is that many say they are self-motivated. They say they don’t need any external motivation because they have the desire with them to get the job done. Apparently that isn’t the case for too many Christians. Apparently we need some motivation.

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