“5 verses to help you get out of your motivational rut.”

In February, I always find myself in a motivational rut. Maybe it is the dreary weather and lack of sunshine. Maybe it is the aftermath of the holidays. Whatever it is I find myself wanting to lounge around all day.

“We work hard day and night so we won’t be a burden to you.”

2 Thessalonians 3:8

A lazy day is always good, but what if one day turns into many. That is when we can run into the problem of laziness. Laziness presents a few problems. when we are lazy, we create a burden on those around us (2Th 3:6-8), we do not do things to the best of our abilities, and we are wasting the time God so graciously gave us.

For times when I am feeling motivationally challenged, I pull out my trusted list of verses and begin to read them to ward off the spirit of laziness. Here are 5 of my favorites to help get your motivation flowing and get you out of your winter rut.

We were made to work.

1. The LORD God put the man in the Garden of Eden to take care of it and to look after it (Gen 2:15).

Adam had the cushiest of jobs, before the fall. There were no thorns or pests, just a beautiful garden to take care of. Even from day one, God knew that people needed goals and jobs to give us purpose and a sense of accomplishment. I know when I finish my to-do list or accomplish a goal I feel wonderful, even if tired. When I get in a rut I remind myself that God made us to work and that getting moving will help me to feel my best.

Give our best Effort.

• Work hard at whatever you do. You will soon go to the world of the dead, where no one works or thinks or reasons or knows anything (Ecc 9:10). 

• Do your work willingly, as though you were serving the Lord himself, and not just your earthly master (Col 3:23).

• Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him (Col 3:17)

We are representing the Kingdom of God wherever we go. Because of our love and reverence for God, we want to make sure to give people the best impression of God and His kingdom so they will want to be a part of what God is doing. One way to do this is to do our best. In a world that often is okay with the bare minimum show people that God is a God that can and will go above and beyond for them. The only way to truly show this is for us to go above and beyond for each other and for those around us. That is why God tells us to give our best effort and to do everything as we are doing it for the Lord because we are.

Our neighbor has spent the last couple of months keeping our sidewalks shoveled and salted. He doesn’t have to do this, he could worry about his own space and that would be understandable, but He does not he goes above and beyond and helps others around him. I have appreciated not only his kindness but seeing God through his act of kindness. This is the kind of mindset God wants each of us to have. We may not all be able to shovel snow but we can all show kindness in big and small ways to those around us.

A warning to avoid those who are lazy.

• My dear friends, in the name of the Lord Jesus, I beg you not to have anything to do with any of your people who loaf around and refuse to obey the instructions we gave you. You surely know that you should follow our example. We didn’t waste our time loafing (2Th 3:6-7) 

The Bible has a lot to say about who we spend our time with and how we let them affect us. We should never let others influence us in a way that keeps us from doing what God has asked.

Another takeaway from this verse is that we need to do what we can to ease the burden in this world not create more. The world is full of too much pain, sorrow, and emotional weight. We are representatives of Christ and need to be in the business of trying to lead people to the one that can ease their burdens not create more.

When we do not do our part in life and society we create unneeded burdens on others. By working to provide for ourselves and our family, in whatever way God has called us to, we are making sure others do not have to.

Due to chronic illness, I have found that I have spent a lot of time unemployed, but this doesn’t mean that I spend all day on the couch watching soap operas. I have found ways to provide for my family in a way that my body will allow. I have adapted, with the help and strength of the holy spirit, to find ways I can serve my family and those around me even in my illness.

No matter what our lives look like we can always find ways to provide for ourselves and our family in some way, making sure not to add unneeded burdens to others, who are most likely dealing with their own burdens as well.

Summary

If the winter weather has got you in a rut, the best way to combat it is to pull out the word of God. God’s word is always a source of encouragement and strength. By reminding ourselves of the importance of doing the Lord’s work, giving our best effort, and working to avoid being a burden on others, we can fight off the urge to laze around when we should be doing something else.