Is Guilt a Proper Motivator?by KeeperAtHome | More from this Blogger 16 Feb 2007 09:32 AM My brother-in-law asked my sister a good question recently. He said, "Johanna, how much do you do because of guilt?" You see, my sister is a very busy person. She is the leader of the Billings, Montana, chapter of Young Lives. She leads and is involved in several Bible studies and serves as a mentor to several high school girls. She is a mom to a beautiful little girl and an active participant in the small groups at her church. She is always busy and always doing for others. Her husband's question got her thinking and, in turn, got me thinking. Why do I spend time playing with my children? Why do I clean my house? Why do I read my Bible or go to church? I would like to say that I always do each of these things out of a heart of thankfulness and love for God. The truth? Many times I do things because I feel guilty if I don't. As women, we tend to personalize everything. We receive a bit of well-deserved criticism and immediately we feel like a terrible person. Someone gives us a weird look in public and we instantly wonder, "What's wrong with me?" It is helpful to understand that there is a difference between the conviction of the Holy Spirit and guilt. Conviction is God pointing out something that is wrong in your life so you can make it right (Isaiah 1:18). Conviction is a good thing because its purpose is to bring us to repentance so we can correct our error. Guilt is the devil accusing you of being unworthy (Revelation 12:10). The feeling of guilt often comes when we compare ourselves with other people or against an ideal. God wants us to feel conviction, he does not want us to feel guilt. What does the Bible say about motivation? I Corinthians 10:31 says, "Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." It is easy to think that your reasons behind what you do are not that important. After all, no one knows your motivation but you. However, God has a different opinion. He wants your motivation to be His glorification. He wants you to do what you do because you love Him, not because the devil is trying to make you feel guilty. Don't let yourself be bogged down by what other people think about you. Instead, think about how you can glorify God through your actions, even if they seem small. Some examples: Why do I play with my son? Because I can glorify God by teaching him. Why do I clean my house? Because God wants all things to be done "decently and in order" and so that I can provide a nice home for the family God has given me. As you go about your busy days and are confronted with one task after another, remember: We have a higher calling and motivation than guilt. We have God's glory. For more articles from this blogger, see: 5 Tips for Having Devotions With Toddlers How to Handle Those Crazy Sunday Mornings Relevantchristian tags User Comments andryia (241) 16 Feb 2007 10:22 AMThanks, I really needed that. Can I also add, don't take on a new project just because someone tries to guilt you into it? Sometimes we confuse peer pressure with the leading of the Holy Spirit, and burn ourselves out in the process. Community Tags conviction, guilt, Motivation, why we do what we do Discuss this article
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