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Provoked

Roger D. Lipe

Ready:

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.” Hebrews 10:24

Set:

What is it that best motivates you to compete at your highest level? Some athletes are motivated by challenge. Others are moved by the thrill of winning. Others still are provoked to excellence by the fear of losing. How do your coaches and team-mates stir you up to be your best? We’re certainly not all wired the same.

There are three important parts of this simple sentence which have direct application to today’s competition:

• Let us consider one another. This implies that serious thought should be given to each member of the team. Where motivation is concerned, one size does not fit all. Let’s give a real effort to understand each member of the team.
• In order to stir up. What stirs up a great performance in you may not affect me at all and vice versa. We must consider what will stir up each person most effectively.
• Love and good deeds. We all know plenty of people who get stirred up and it’s not always toward love and good deeds. The idea is not to simply stir them up, but to stimulate or to motivate them toward the things that make for the highest level of success for the team. Let’s be consciously aware of the things that help each one achieve at his or her highest level.

As you compete today, give careful attention to the motivational keys in each of your teammates. Find a way to press that button that stirs up the best performance possible in each one. That is part of being a great teammate, coach and competitor.

Go:

1. What is it that best motivates you for competition?
2. What stimulates you to love people more?
3. What provokes good deeds in your life?

Workout:

• Titus 2:6–8
• James 3:13
• 1 Peter 2:12

Overtime:

"Father, please enable me to see how I may best stimulate my teammates to be their best today. Help me provoke them to love and good deeds in honor of the Lord Jesus. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen."

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