Who has inspired you? Who has motivated you? These words are not interchangeable. That is, they are not synonyms. One can be inspired while not at all motivated to change or to take something on. One can be motivated without inspiration. In fact, motivation can come from a negative experience. We can, for example, become angry and then become motivated to act without any inspiration.
Too often the church sees its role as an agent for inspiration. It can be that as inspiration certainly has its place. Sometimes all you and I can do in regards to God is be inspired and awed. Many times there is no adequate response except to stand there and drop our jaw in amazement. I suspect many are inspired by their first view of the Grand Canyon. It can be overwhelming to try and take it all in. It can be the same for God as well.
The Christian faith as proclaimed and taught by the church, is to be more than inspiring. It is also to be motivating. It is to bring newness and change, lift up the downtrodden and work for justice. It can be challenge and strength so we might love even to the point of loving the stranger and the enemy. It can push us to working hard to sin less and to live as God would have us live.
The Christian faith is not meant to leave us inspired. It is intended to motivate us to become a follower of Jesus Christ and reflect this Jesus in our own words, works, and lives. The Christian faith is intended to create in us a new person and to have such creation be an ongoing, life-long work.
Easter Sunday has come and gone. The Easter season is now upon us. The season of gospel stories reporting appearances by the resurrected Jesus. Doubting Thomas missed the first such encounter in Luke, but was there for the second. Two travelers on the road to Emmaus walked with Jesus but did not immediately recognize Jesus. On a beach, Jesus grills fish and instructs his fishing disciples where to cast their nets. The resurrected Jesus was busy! Resurrection, new life was more than just escaping death. There was work to do!
I wonder if many of these gospel accounts were written so we would not leave Easter Sunday and the empty tomb armed only with inspiring thoughts and feelings. The resurrected Jesus is present and forgives, sends, and commissions. Easter is to be both inspiring and motivating. We stand in awe and we go forth to proclaim and serve.
Who knows? Maybe you and I can motivate a few folks long life’s discipleship journey. That’s how the resurrected Christ works now. That is how the resurrected Christ is present and continues to send and commission. Dropped jaws are fine but we can’t say much when they remain in that pose. Busy hands, listening ears, and mouths at work proclaiming good news motivate. Careful! But we need to be careful: inspiration combined with motivation may lead to perspiration!