Tom Sawyer

It was a scene out of Tom Sawyer and I loved it.  I had two thirty-something guys stop by my house today.  They knew about my log-splitter and of course I wanted to show it off and tell them how much fun it was.  They spotted a couple huge rounds left over from an elm that came down in an ice storm.  The rounds were way too big for me to muscle around and I had wondered what I would do with them, but they jumped at the chance.  So I sat down and watched them have fun.  It was great.  At one point I actually had to stop them from spending their day splitting all my wood.  I think I am going to start charging admission.  How grand!

One of life’s great secrets is how to get other people to do your work.  It is the secret of success.  It’s all about motivation.  God motivates us to do His work here on earth.  His motivation is love.  It’s the best kind.  The joy of working for God is because we want to share His love and the Good News. Considering how simple this seems I am somewhat puzzled when I hear preachers exhorting us to do good works. I’m not sure about you but that never works with me.  Instead of exhortation, inspire me.  Make me want to do it and you will not have to exhort.  As a matter of fact, too much exhortation gets the reverse reaction from me.  I won’t do it just because you said I had to.  I know that is really immature but it’s the way I react.  Are you different from me on this?

Written by Roger Bothwell on October 26, 2011

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org