more on motivation

When I started working at a new school once again two years ago (my 3rd school in 6 years), I was determined to build a solid reputation early through my actions. I wanted to be impressive from the get-go. I had a high level of respect in my previous two teaching positions, and that level of respect allowed me a great deal of freedom in the way I taught. Also, I had always been a head coach. When I took the job with my current school (Mason City), the only available basketball coaching position was that of freshman coach. While I was thankful for many aspects of my new job, the two things it lacked that I wanted were the freedom and respect I had gained in my other jobs and a head coaching position.

I went in with the attitude that if I could be impressive, eventually I could obtain these things. If I could make myself known as a talented, hard-working teacher and coach, my time would come. It seemed like a good idea. Looking back, this approach was dead wrong.

I realized this in church on Sunday morning this week. Part of our pastor's sermon included reference to Titus 2: 9-10: "Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things."

And there it is, in the section I've bolded. Paul is writing to Titus, a young leader, about what to tell to servants/slaves. He says to tell them to be impressive. Be honorable and dependable and one heck of a worker. But the motivation isn't so that they wouldn't get beaten or that they would be treated better. It wasn't so that they would get trusted with more or given their freedom. The message was to be impressive and honorable and dependable so that "they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things." Or in another translation: "so that in every way they will make known the teaching about God our Savior."

Getting rewarded for your work isn't bad. Look at the Old Testament Joseph and how important it was for his people that he be rewarded for his devotion as a servant. But if the reward is my motivation, my heart is in the wrong place. And so is my treasure.

I believe at this point I have some respect, a little bit of freedom, and no head coaching position. But I don't care quite as much about those anymore. This year, I seek to be impressive in all that I do so that I might adorn the doctrine of God in all things.