Exodus 16:2-15; Ephesians 4:1-16; John 6:22-35
Motivation
experts encourage people to focus on their goals by keeping an associated
reward in front of themselves visually. They believe that seeing the benefits
of reaching the goal moves people to work harder to reach it. So, if you were
working to meet a sales goal you might post a picture of the new flat screen TV
you want that the bonus would pay for. Or, if you were struggling to finish a
college degree you make an image of a resort you’d like to go to as a
graduation present as your computer desktop. Many people make use of this
motivational technique. Some say that it actually works for them. But how can
this technique help those who are working for things that don’t spoil?
Let’s
face it. Nearly everything that people are working for in our culture will wear
out, break down, become obsolete, etc. It will spoil. Even the things we do to
make great memories for ourselves can’t stay alive in our minds. Over time
everything spoils, even we do. Spending our lives chasing one goal after
another in pursuit of rewards that cannot last sounds rather depressing. No
wonder Jesus implores us, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that
endures to eternal life” (John 6:27). He offers us something to focus on that
will last far longer than all the things of our world that spoil. He invites us
to invest our time, our resources, our productivity, and money into things that
will last rather than spend ourselves on things that will spoil. The “food that
endures to eternal life” includes peace, joy, security, meaning and purpose for
life, and satisfaction. With it, Jesus fills us up so that we are not endlessly
in pursuit of the “food” that spoils.
What
image can we use to keep our goal of working for things that last in front of
us? Some might suggest an image of heaven mindful that eternal life is indeed
the “reward” for those who labor in Christ. But Jesus gives us a more powerful
image that moves us to freely labor in light of eternity. He alludes to this
image by calling Himself the bread that has come down from heaven. Since His
purpose in coming down from heaven was to be lifted up for us, the image of the
Cross stands before us as the ultimate motivation to stop working for that
which spoils and to work only for the things that last.
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