Ways to Motivate Members of the Church to Do Personal Work

by Wesley Simons

How many times have you heard someone say, “I just cannot get motivated to do this or that.” Many members of the church find it hard to motivate themselves to study their Bibles, pray, attend services regularly, do personal evangelism, etc.

So, they turn to the elders or the preacher and ask for help. “Give us something to fire us up,” one states. However, we ask: “What will fire-one-up or charge his battery?”

Why Does One Need To Be Fired-Up or Motivated?

Personal evangelism involves many disappointments. When one presents the truth to some people, they get mad (Genesis 4:5-6). This means lost friends and loved ones. If one is trying hard enough, he thinks he can convert the world, but this doesn’t happen, and down go his spirits. Doors are closed in his face time and time again. One starts to feel like Elijah, “I, even I only, am left” (I Kings 19:10).

Brethren, please understand this is one reason that God gave us the worship service so that we could be provoked unto good works (Hebrews 10:24). “Let us not grow weary in well doing” (Galatians 6:9). But let us be, “Steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (I Corinthians 15:58).

Ways To Motivate

I would like to list some things that ought to motivate all of us at this time.

1. Jesus loved us and died for us (John 3:16).
   Brethren, we ought to do like the woman at the well. When she found out that Jesus was the Christ (John 4:29), she went and told her friends.
2. We need to feel the urgency of sharing the truth with others! (Matthew 28:18-20).
   Since the gospel is God’s power to save (Romans 1:16), we must feel the obligation of sharing it with all men.
3. If we do not share the gospel with others, we will be lost.
   Why? Because we will be disobedient to the Lord’s great commission (Mark 16:15-16).
4. We have something worth sharing.
   Brethren, we have the truth. However, if we do not share that truth, we will help no one because, without the truth, no man can be set free (John 8:32).
5. If we will not share the truth with a lost and dying world, who will?
   Brethren, we are God’s servants. “Let us work while it is yet day” (John 9:4).
6. We must realize one soul is worth more than the whole world (Matthew 16:26).
7. Let us also remember that the best place to start personal work is at home.
   Remember Noah (Genesis 6-8).
8. Also, remember, one person can make a lot of difference.
   Remember: Noah, Jesus, Paul, and a host of faithful brethren who at times felt like they were standing alone.
9. You will be judged according to your talents (Matthew 25:14-30).
   Don’t you have some ability to present the gospel to others? Sure you do!

Brethren, if we don’t do it, we'd better remember this:

1. The world will be lost.
2. We will be lost.
3. God will be disappointed in all of us.

Jesus loved us enough to die for us. May God help us be motivated to love Him and our fellow man by preaching the blessed truth of His precious Word (Acts 20:32; Psalms 19:7; I Peter 1:22-25; James 1:18).

The facts mentioned above ought to be enough to motivate us all. So, let’s go to work!