Guilt vs Gospel Motivation

“But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.” (Romans 6:17–18, ESV)

Don’t You Love the Children?

I have been in churches long enough to know that most churches are struggling to find people to serve in their children’s ministries. Church after church find themselves asking person after person after person, only to be turned down time and time again. Eventually, church leaders become frustrated, children’s ministry leaders become frustrated, and then comes the typical bulletin announcement (exaggerated for effect): “Lately we’ve been struggling to find volunteers for our children’s ministries. Our children’s ministry is a vital aspect of our church. If you believe this is a vital aspect of our church, we ask you to step up and help out. Don’t you love the children?” 

Of course, most churches don’t make their announcement so blatantly dripping with a guilt-trip. However, churches often soak their announcements in guilt, insinuating that anyone who is not willing to volunteer for the children’s ministry doesn’t love children or is lazy. 

Guilt As A Motivator?

After reading one of these announcements, I realized: This is not a biblical form of Christian motivation. The law brings guilt and condemnation, but the gospel frees us from guilt and condemnation. Like it says in the passage above, the gospel frees us to become “obedient from the heart” (Romans 6:17). That’s not an obedience motivated by guilt and condemnation, but an obedience motivated by love.

An obedience from the heart is a joyful obedience. If we guilt someone into serving in our children’s ministry, only to have them do it begrudgingly, can we really call that obedience? We can’t call it obedience from the heart. We definitely can’t call it a gospel obedience. 

Guilt As An Ineffective Motivator

Besides, guilt is not an effective motivator. Sure, it can get quick results. That’s why churches resort to it so often. When we heap guilt upon people, they want to see that guilt removed quickly and will do what they can to get the load off their back. So, they volunteer.

Yet, the motivation quickly disappears. When motivated by guilt, we will only work hard enough or volunteer enough that our guilt goes away. Then we will stop. It’s human nature. 

Do you really want this person volunteering in your children’s ministry? Someone who is only doing it because they don’t want to feel guilty? Someone who will only do enough that they can feel better about themselves? That’s not a recipe for success. 

Gospel Motivation

Gospel motivation is much more powerful and effective. Gospel motivation is not driven by running away from guilt but by running to Christ. Or to put this in the context of children’s ministry volunteers, gospel motivation is energized by fulfilling the calling Christ has given you to minister to the children in the congregation—recognizing that you are fulfilling your purpose on this earth. That’s powerful and effective. 

This motivation lasts. When running away from something, we stop as soon as we can. When running toward something, we don’t stop until we get there. When running toward the calling that Christ has placed on your life, you will not stop running until you have fulfilled that calling—you will not stop serving. These are the people you want in your children’s ministry. This is the way you want to motivate people in your congregation.