Motivation to do what is right

I remember as a child going to various tourist traps. Before Adventureland in Altoona, there was Riverview Park in Des Moines. It probably wasn't very big, but to a kid from a small town it was great.

In addition to the rides, there were little booths in the park, that probably aren't allowed any more. If you dropped a coin in to this machine, a chicken would come out and play a song on the piano. Not a mechanical chicken. Not a digital chicken on a computer screen. A real live chicken pecking out a tune on a toy piano.

I was amazed at how they could teach a chicken to play the piano. He didn't even have any music to read!

At the end of the song, a hatch would open and corn was dispensed for a reward. The chicken had learned that playing the piano led to a reward.

Like I said, those gizmos probably are illegal in all 50 states now.

But we do the same thing when we're training our children. Do your job and get a sticker.

And we do the same thing with ourselves. If I work hard at a good job, I'll have a good retirement.

And bosses use the same method with their employees. Increase sales this month and you'll get a bonus.

Giving rewards as a motivation to good behavior is not wrong. The New Testament speaks of several crowns that will be rewarded  based on good things that believers have done.

How about this motivation found in Leviticus 19:2?

"You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy."

The rest of the chapter gives a variety of commands about idolatry, honoring parents, sexual behavior, witchcraft and keeping the Sabbath.

Each time the motivation is the same, "For I the LORD your God am holy."

What is your motivation for living a holy life?

Rewards?

Fear of punishment?

Fitting in at church?

Tradition?

The problem with those motivations is that they are easy to excuse. Rewards are so far off. No one will know, so why do I need to fear punishment? Everyone else at church has their sins, too. Tradition needs to be changed anyway.

But God's holiness never changes.

God's desire for us to be like Him never changes.

So when you are tempted to sin, remember God's holiness. Not even a fleck of sin in Him.

And remember that that is God's desire for you. Not even a fleck of sin in you.

And in case you thought maybe this is only for the Old Testament believers, it's repeated in 1 Peter 1:15-16.

"Be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy."