IMPROVING YOUR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH

Your ability to grow personally, professionally, emotionally, spiritually, or even relationship-wise can be improved by practicing selflessness. It’s a sure formula for improving growth. To experience growth, we must avoid the opposite. What’s the opposite of selflessness?

We are continuing our look at the love of God for us and his plan (his mission) to bridge the gap between us and him. His mission is to bring us back into a relationship with him. In bridging the gap between us and Him, He wants us to adopt selflessness and become His disciples and members of his family. But it does not end with his call; a call without action from the one being called has no value.

In this series, we will look at some things that happened with the early followers of Christ that can give us guidance on what should be our motivation for action.

Review our past and present videos at SabbathSchoolDaily.com or visit my YouTube Channel, Sabbath School by Dr. Brenda Ware Davis

You also may obtain the study guide for this series at Sabbath.School or ssnet.org

Let Us Inviting God’s Presence:

Holy Father, transform our thinking. Help us live selfless lives. Turn our lens from a mere focus on self to one that focuses on the needs and well-being of others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

God’s Mission, My Mission

(Lesson 5)

Motivation and Preparation for Mission

Part 1

Introduction

When we disregard the well-being of others, it blocks not only our individual growth but also interferes with the collective growth of society. Thus, selfishness or self-centeredness is the root cause of personal and societal decline.

When we strike a balance between personal needs and consideration for others, it results in improved overall growth personally, professionally, emotionally, spiritually, and even relationship-wise.

The problem is that today, selfishness and selfish motives seem to be drivers for most people’s actions. As a matter of fact, it was a drive for many in the early church.

Paul in Philippians 1:15-18 wrote to the believers in Philippi saying:

15 Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill:

16 The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains;

17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel.

18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice. (Philippians 1:15–18).

Such powerful words! Whether in “pretense or in truth,” Though some were moved by selfish motives, Paul’s only concern was that people preached the Good News about Jesus.

To Paul, as it relates to Jesus and his teachings, that was all that mattered.

At the same time, our reasons for action and our motivation for telling others about Jesus are important.

Though the actions of some may bring good results despite motivation, in the long run, our motivation for action does matter.

 In other words, our motivation for responding to God’s call for action to help fulfill his mission should be motivated by our love for God and love for truth. It should never be that we move out of selfish ambition, envy, or conflict.

Notice what it says in the book Counsels on Stewardship:

Jesus would have those who are engaged in His service, not eager for rewards, nor feel that they must receive compensation for all that they do. (Counsels on Stewardship, p. 339)

Here is what it says in Christ’s Object Lessons:

The Lord desires us to rest in Him without a question as to our measure of reward. When Christ abides in the soul, the thought of reward is not uppermost. This is not the motive that actuates our service. It is true that in a subordinate sense, we should have respect for the compensation of reward. God desires us to appreciate His promised blessings. But He would not have us eager for rewards nor feel that for every duty, we must receive compensation. Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 398.

Thus, the highest in our motivation to answer God’s call for action is our love for him, his truth, and our love for others. Yet, as a motivator, God promises rewards for those who respond to His call. (Split)

 In conjunction with love, what are some appropriate secondary motivators for responding to God’s call? Reading Luke 24:1-12 then continue to the next segment of this video —Part 2: To Share the Good News.

God’s Mission, My Mission

(Lesson 6)

Motivation and Preparation for Mission

Part 2

To Share the Good News

What motivated Christ’s followers that Sunday Morning after He had been crucified Friday and Rested in the tomb all day, Sabbath, or Saturday to share their Good News?

It says in Luke 24:1–12

1 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.

2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.

3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.

5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?

6 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee,

7 saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ”

8 And they remembered His words.

9 Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. (Split)

10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles.

11 And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.

12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened. (Luke 24:1–12)

Early Sunday morning, after Jesus’s death, Luke tells us some women disciples went to the tomb where Jesus was buried. The women had spices with them. They had planned to take care of Jesus’ body now that the Sabbath was over.

The women disciples expected to find Jesus’ tomb sealed. But they were surprised to find that His grave was empty. At this point, the women weren’t sure of what to do. Then they were frightened when they saw two men in shining clothes. However, these two men had a special message for them.

They were called to action. Reminding them of what Jesus had told them about him rising from the dead, the two men told the women that Jesus had risen from the dead just as He said He would.

These women’s hearts were filled with joy at the gospel, the good news about Jesus.  They were motivated to share this good news about Jesus rising from the dead.

So, filled with joy, they hurried back to the place where Jesus’ other disciples were staying. The women told Jesus’ followers, his disciples, what they had seen and heard.

These women were so excited about their experience that they wanted to share with others their Good News.

Now, think for a moment! Can you imagine how these women must have felt? These women had just had an amazing experience.

But what were the other followers of Jesus, response? What did Jesus’s other disciples tell the women? They told the women they were making up stories; they called their experiences “idle tales.”

Jesus’s disciples refused to believe the women’s report.

Peter, not sure whether to believe the woman’s story or not, ran to the tomb to check it out for himself.

Like Peter, who checked out the women’s story, many of us have a hard time accepting something someone tells us until we see it for ourselves.

You see, Peter, like many of us, is hesitant to accept something simply because someone else says it.

When Peter arrived at the tomb, all Peter saw was an empty grave. Luke 24:12 says:

12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened. (Luke 24:12).

Peter’s experience, however, at the gravesite was not the same as that of the women. All he saw was an empty tomb. His experience and joy were to come later; he was not greeted by the two men. 

Regardless of Peter’s and the other disciples’ response, as soon as the women heard the news about Jesus, they were motivated to share their joy and the amazing, good news about Jesus with others.

What greater motivation for responding to God’s call for mission than to let others know about what Jesus has done for them? What greater motivation for spreading the good news of salvation about Jesus than our own personal experience of the joy that fills our souls?

The key word here is our personal experience motivated by love. For, how can we share what we do not have? 

Though it was not at the tomb, the other disciples experienced motivation to help them in answering their call to action. What were their motivations? Find out in the next video, Part 3: A Prophetic Foundation 

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