Points to discuss:
So, we want to be motivated?
Where motivation comes from.
Motivating by example.
Motivating with the example of the leaders.
Motivating with a defined work plan.
The supreme motivation.
1.-So, we want to be motivated?
Before answering the question of HOW to motivate members for growth? we must answer the fundamental question that is WHY to motivate our members for growth?
This is very important because it defines what our internal motivation is as servants of God to motivate your church.
If our motivation to motivate is incorrect, insane, impure or lacking in ethics, the most likely thing is that we can not motivate anyone in our church.
The Bible clearly indicates that God looks first at the heart (1 Samuel 16.7) and this means that God will determine the success of our motivation to the members of his people if our internal motivation is correct.
David with his victory over Goliath motive with his personal example to all the people of God to move from the paralysis of fear to Goliath to persecute the Philistines and defeat them.
This happened because David's internal motivation was correct, he sought God to be glorified through his actions.
David motivated the people to a victory that was the victory of the people of God, it was not the victory of David, it was the victory of God and his people over the enemies.
God is ready to motivate his people to have great victories while the internal motivation of those who perform the actions is identified with the will of God, the glory of God and the victories of God.
Why do you want to motivate your brothers?
So that your church is bigger?
So that the brothers work more?
To have more brothers?
So that your name or ministry is better known?
These are incorrect internal reasons.
Our internal motivation to motivate our brothers should be:
May they discover God's will for their lives.
To recognize the call that God made to each of them and support them to fulfill it.
May the name of God be glorified by what they do in obedience to the will of God.
May God work through them so that the kingdom extends beyond our church.
These are correct reasons.
When your members perceive that your desire to motivate them is to glorify God, to do his will and extend his kingdom they will be willing to move.
God honors with motivation of his children those leaders who embrace the will of God and the extension of his kingdom and not his own interests and those of his local church.
Is God going to work in the motivation of your members so that they work for the growth of your church and not of the kingdom? DO NOT
Will God generate motivated brothers to focus on local, personal, and selfish goals of the church? DO NOT
God will motivate his people to do their part as he did with David, Nehemiah and many other examples when the inner motivation of the leaders is according to the heart of God.
This is a principle of the work of God, if our internal motivation as leaders is not correct we can not motivate others to develop God's plans.
2.-Where motivation comes from.
The word motivation derives from the Latin motivus or motus, which means 'cause of movement'. If we ask what was the cause of Moses, Joshua, David, Nehemiah, Joshua, Jesus and Paul (to give some examples) they did what they did The answer would be: GOD. Therefore, we must understand that the motivation to do God's will, execute his plans and achieve his victories comes only from God. God is the one who motivates his children, his leaders and his people to act The correct motivation for our members comes from God.
It is God who will ultimately be 100% responsible for a member's motivation and action. Having this clear, we can locate ourselves and see that God in the Bible raised men and women to motivate (move) their people to action.
This is where our role as pastors, workers and leaders takes place as God can use us as tools in his hands to motivate the members (his people) to act.
3.-Motivating with the personal example of the Apostle.
Instead of looking for motivational techniques as Christians we have something much better. The example of the best motivator. I am sure that you prefer that I give you a list of personal motivation techniques for your members but the reality is that these are not only not going to serve you but they will not generate any relevant change in you as Apostle .
How did Jesus motivate and move his disciples to action?
With your personal example. "I have given you an example so that as I did you do" (John 13.15) If you wish to see your brothers motivated by the values of the kingdom first YOU must be a personal example in action of the values of the kingdom.
There are no short cuts.
You can continue to preach every day, arming messages and campaigns year after year, but the greatest motivating force of your members will be the example your leader gives you, that is, you.
Only someone who lives the values of God can transmit the values of God.
Why should its members be motivated to live the values of the kingdom when their Apostle or leaders do not live them?
When you live the values of the kingdom in practice and your members see you happy and excited about that way of life they will also want to live that life. It is time for you to know that most of the brothers forget the 20 days of what his apostle preached but never forget the practical example of the way of life of his lider.Tan potent is the example that was the only way that Jesus used to move his disciples to action. He did not make a congress , I do not preach long sermons for this purpose, I do not seek to touch their emotions or respond after a long period of worship. He did not use theology. Jesus only gave the personal, simple and powerful example of a life surrendered to the will of God and willing to live according to the values of loving God and people. With that personal example I reach him to move the wills of his disciples and that are willing to surrender for him until death.
Start today to show your personal example of love for God (devotional life of prayer and reading the Bible), love of people (evangelizing and making disciples in a personal way) and doing what is within your reach to reach the lost "To the ends of the earth" and its members will follow their example and become active. In this way Jesus confirmed two things: 1) That his motivation was correct (I do what the Father sends me) and 2) That his personal and practical example was the best way to motivate his disciples.
4.- Motivating with the example of the leaders.
If your personal example is underway you should only gather your leaders and encourage them to follow your example.
It would be something like this…
"Dear leaders, starting today I will focus on living the Christian values of loving God through prayer and reading the Bible and loving people. I will separate a time of the week to evangelize a person and form a new disciple. Each week I will join you to tell you how I did it and you will tell me how they did it. I encourage each of you to do the same and together let's see God work through our lives in our church. "
If you want to empower him, do this by taking a disciple with you and encourage each leader to take a new disciple with them. This multiplies the task because apart from starting to be an example they will be forming this example in a new disciple.
Each week you can tell your testimony of how you lived God's values, especially your love for people and can lead your leaders to do so. When members see that living in this way is the most important thing of their pastor and their Leaders will also want to do it. Stop looking for external or satanic reasons to the lack of motivation of its members.Assume your responsibility along with your leadership to "be a living, stable and committed" example of all those actions that you want to see in the members of your church.
It is time to follow the example of Jesus and to align his disciples and leaders under the personal practice of the values and commands that Jesus taught us to mobilize his entire church to extend the kingdom.
5.-Motivating with a defined work plan.
The third way to motivate its members is to have a defined work plan. We all like to know where we are going. Nothing is more uncertain than taking a boat without knowing the port of destination. Nothing discourages more people than not knowing what is the purpose and purpose of what we do every day.
Almost anyone responds quickly and with commitment if you value what you are doing once you know what your project is. It is almost impossible for a person to feel motivated when they do not know what we are trying to achieve.
It is said that the team that worked for the man to reach the moon was the most motivated and effective work team that existed in history. Do you know why? Because the objective was simple, measurable and relevant.When we define as a church what we want to achieve (Objectives), how we will achieve it (Work Plan) and a date to reach it (measurable) this generates a desire to be protagonists of history. When a Christian understands his leading role in the kingdom of God, he discovers the purpose of his life. When a member of the church discovers what his function will be within the Work of God in the church, he discovers his call. When a Christian obeys that called experience the abundant life that Jesus promised.
Our role as pastors is to show the work map that God has for our church so that each member of the body can be located and fulfill its function generating growth in the body (Ephesians 4.16)
To believe that this will happen spontaneously without any plan is to go against God's way of working since God made a plan to create the universe, a plan to free his people from Egypt with Moses, a plan to rebuild the wall with Nehemiah , a plan of salvation with Jesus, a plan to take the gospel to the Gentiles with Paul and today seeks men and women willing to lead the plans that will develop from here to the end of time.
A member who knows the plan that God has designed for his local church finds motivation in being able to place himself in obedience in order to serve according to his gifts, resources and calling for his whole life.
It is the responsibility of every Apostle to know and define with God's guidance what is the purpose that God has called him to fulfill his church in this time, to define in faith its objectives and work plan and walk in obedience until reaching that purpose.
6.-The supreme motivation.
Finally we discover the supreme motivation of God.
This motivation is a compass in the life of the church. Wanting to motivate the church by keeping it away from God's motivation is impossible. Let's remember that the church was created by Jesus to fulfill the mission of reaching the lost.
God's motivation is to save the lost. Your true church will only be motivated by what your Lord is motivated. Your members will not need motivation from you if you put what motivates God as a priority in the church. When Jesus says " for this I have come "is marking what is your motivation when coming to earth. The lost.
The supreme motivation of God is that the lost know their gospel and when a church is aligned with the heart of God its members will receive from God the necessary motivation to act on behalf of the lost. He does this work.
conclusion
Do not waste your time trying to motivate your members to do what you expect in the church. Review their motivations and decide to focus the church as a tool to give glory to God, to reach the lost and to carry the gospel " the last of the earth "
Start by giving your personal example and with your leaders.
In prayer let God guide you to develop a work plan where your church is the protagonist in the extension of the kingdom.