Lesson 6 | Grasp the Anchors & Aims
Examine the Motives
I love this classic motivational speech. It is so good! I once used it to encourage my wife while we were running a half marathon, despite the fact that England’s tyranny over the Scots in the 13th century had nothing whatsoever to do with said half marathon.
That is so often how motivation works in our day. Motivational speaking is a multi-billion dollar business. So many people are searching for something to give them energy to do what they know they ought to do—and they are willing to pay handsomely for the latest guru to tell them whatever might do the trick. Today’s answer is usually some version of “Believe in yourself” or “Dig down deeper and try harder”—motivations you will not find elevated in Scripture.
And yet, motivations don’t have to be cheap and are, in fact, integral to the workings of our hearts. So it is no surprise that we rarely find a bare command in Scripture. God, in his kindness, lays alongside his commands a host of truths to motivate our obedience.
In the previous lesson, we asked the question, “What obedience does this passage call for?” We now consider the motivations that stir us to action. They fall into two categories: anchors and aims.
Lesson Objectives
To grasp the significance of the truths Scripture offers to support our obedience
To be able to identify and distinguish the anchors and aims within a passage
To learn the next steps for using the Commands+ lens