Why Do We Lose Our Motivation?

   Matt. 26:41 - "... the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."   NASU

• It Has Happened To Me

 Over the years I have noticed there were times when I developed goals for my life. I would have a full head a steam and write down my plans on how to accomplish this goal. I was fired up as they say. I would think about this goal the remainder of the day. I would go to bed thinking about my goal and how best to accomplish it.
 
Then it would happen.
 
I would wake up the next day and my motivation was gone. I mean it had vanished over night. Where in the world did all of my positive thoughts go?
 
I was now thinking that was the dumbest idea I had ever had. There was no way I could have completed that goal. In my BC (Before Christ) days I would have asked myself "What have you been smoking?"
 
Who was I trying to kid by thinking that way. Then it was like another Gary Serago would appear and start telling me it was a great goal and I should refocus and begin to bring that goal to fruition.
 
If you have ever had days like that I believe I have discovered the answer. In Matt. 26:41 Jesus says, "…the spirit is willing, BUT (emphasis mine) the flesh is weak." 

• One Of My Crazy Goals 

In 1978 I came up with the crazy goal to quit my job as a Union Boilermaker, sell my home, my property, pack up my family and go to Bible College to become a preacher.
 
When I started sharing my goal with others they thought I had lost my mind. Some said, "I thought you quit doing drugs when you became a Christian." Others asked me "You aren't serious are you?" Some reminded me I didn't do that great in high school and how was I ever going to get through college.
 
Then it happened. I started to let what others were saying to have an affect on me. My flesh started to take over and doubts were coming at me in every direction. It was like Jesus said, "… the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
 
Some of the things people said were correct. I did have a great job as a Union Boilermaker and many guys would have loved to have been in that union. They were also correct I didn't do that great in high school.
 
They proposed a good question to me when they said, "How was my family going to survive if I weren't working?"
 
"I didn't know." was my answer. I was going to step out in faith and believe God would provide. "Wow! You are an idiot!" seemed to be the common answer. 

• Fast Forward 

As I sit writing this Pump Up I did sell everything, moved my family to Eastern Christian College, I did graduate in 1983 and would later earn a Master's degree from Cincinnati Bible Seminary. God opened a door for me in Glen Burnie, MD where I served Him for 20 years. Like the apostle Paul the last 20 years I have moved around but I continued to serve God and work in His Kingdom.
 
How did it all come to fruition? I allowed my spirit to be lead by the Holy Spirit because my spirit was willing and I just needed to keep the flesh out of the equation.
 
If you have lost your motivation about some goal you have set for yourself my advice is let your spirit be in control and not your flesh.
 
Remember to step out in faith and believe that GOD will provide.
 
God provided for me.

Think About This:

Failure is not the opposite of success. It is a part of success.

Changing your mindset from negative to positive will be a game changer.
 
Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago

​Minister of God's Word