Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me, Pastor Jordan, for some Fine Points from Sunday’s service and message “Motivation For Morality”.
A growing number of people both here and around the world don’t think much of or about morality. Some never have and others no longer see it as relevant or important. Yet it is morality that enables societies to function in peace and harmony.
Morality establishes respect for others and trust to enter agreements and methods for interacting with others. Morality is the idea that some things are right, good, correct, true and virtuous and should be practiced among people.
Immortality is the absence or breakdown of these ideas which lead to conflict, injury and harm to others. Many people may agree with the thought and idea that morality is a good thing and should be practiced. But many more people are replacing expediency as a greater motivator of behavior and actions than morality within society.
Expediency is not concerned with morality but with what is in the best interest or with what is the best and easiest manner to achieve a desired outcome. The benefits, rewards and results of expediency are immediate and tangible regardless if the outcome is the one desired.
The benefits, rewards and results of morality are not as clear and harder for individuals to measure and experience the benefits of morality. Morality may cause a person to feel good or positive about oneself, but it may not help one achieve a desired outcome or result like expediency might.
The question becomes why then be moral? What profit, reward or benefit is it to be moral? To find the answer to this question, we must look outside our world. Because increasingly our world doesn’t reward morality in any tangible way, but expediency.
People value the prize or outcome more than the method that was used to achieve it. People are perfectly willing to bypass and sacrifice morality in achieving their ends because not doing so may cost them what they want. As they watch more and more people doing this, they begin to ask why should I be left out because I’m being moral.
If this is increasingly the case, then what becomes the motivation to be moral? Morality has been rooted in the belief that someone outside this world will reward one for being virtuous and living a moral life. That someone in most cases has been God.
People were willing to go without or lose in a situation or circumstance as long as they believed the reward of morality will more than make up for anything they may have loss for morality’s sake. But with more people placing God out the picture, they see nowhere for this reward or benefit for morality to come from.
The motivation for morality then looks inward and toward others in the world to be validated and no such validation can be found to justify what is given up in order to maintain one’s morality. The reward is just not there. It only works if others agree to be moral.
But it only takes a few to disrupt the entire system for everyone even with laws and punishments in place for those who don’t comply. We see the results of increasing immorality as society drifts into greater dysfunction and collapse of institutions and norms that promote the general welfare of everyone.
You can hear the complete sermon by clicking the sermon title above. You can also see and listen to our previous Sunday School, Missions and BTU sessions by clicking this link. Be sure to download our mobile app on your phones and mobile devices to get the latest news, updates and shortcuts to all of our ministries, functions and activities.
Click the SS Daily Bible Readings for an excellent devotional and preparation for the upcoming Sunday School study. Don’t forget to leave a comment or question down below. As always, remember to fear God and keep His commandments.
Pastor Jordan
