That is the question

Yesterday, I had the opportunity meeting with my boss and a potential employee for an interview/planning session. My boss was asking open ended questions to this person such as, how can you advance our goals and interests, how can we fulfill your needs, etc. One question caught my attention. It was “What is your passion or why would you be passionate working here, what would motivate you?” The person answered with fine answers but the question came home to me, “Why am I passionate about what I am doing; what is it that motivates me?”

This question came home to me in a week when I am talking to several schools that are trying to make me passionate about their programs. They are trying to motivate me to see their college or university as the best option for me. And they are not above turning my arm with gifts and flattery to help me see that I am so good I need a top program like theirs. But with each college there is a different motivation: some point to the scholastic, learning for the sake of knowing; some to the practical, learning for the sake of making money; some to the personal, learning to advance who I am and what I want to be.

But what is my motivation right now as I work as a web programmer, and as I seek to extend my knowledge, why am I doing this? Is it for the money, that I make and what the further education would increase? Or for the ability to say I have a job and the sense of security and responsibility that it gives me? What about the different things that money can buy, is it for those things that I do this? Why do I do what I do? That is the question, as is said.

And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment.
And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30-31

As I was thinking about this those verses in Mark popped into my mind and I realized this has to be the motivation of the Christian. How much of my heart do I need to love the Lord with? All of it. That leaves no room for loving anything else. Now then, how can I love my neighbor as myself? True love for God is always reflected in love for others.

And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' … Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' Matthew 25:33-45

My love for God is expressed in kindness (love) to my fellow man. So, when I am true Christian I will be an aid and assistance to others. This is the gospel in street clothes as some like to call it. “Be the change you want to see in the world” Gandhi. This is the second commandment and the way I show that I keep the greatest commandment.

What does this mean for me? Going back to the question in the beginning, what is my motivation, why am I passionate about web programming, or why should I be? When I stand on the sea of glass will my Lord say to me “well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of thy Lord?” Or will he say “since you didn’t do the good things unto the least of thy brethren, you didn’t do it to me?!” What do I want him to say?

I am not asking this to put a fear trap on myself, but to make me think about why I am doing what I am doing. That is the question.

God Bless!