What Motivates You?
Cash rules everything around me
C.R.E.A.M., get the money
Dollar dollar bill, y'all
Cash rules everything around me
C.R.E.A.M., get the money
Dollar dollar bill, y'all
Wung Tang Clan,
The aforementioned lyrics emanate from one of the sacred anthems of hip-hop music. The song is the American dream in syncopated shorthand. It is an aria to money: it’s pursuit, it’s acquisition, and its retention. Although there is some debate if the song is a critique or a celebration of capitalism, it’s endurance both on the charts and in culture confirm that the song speaks to something fundamental about who we are and what motivates us. Money is what makes America America.
I was reminded of this fact earlier this week when the first winner of the Ohio Vax A Million lottery was announced. The Ohio Vax A Million lottery is an idea hatched by its governor to motivate more people to receive the COVID19 vaccine. The idea is simple: if you get the vaccine, you are automatically entered into a lottery to win $1 million dollars.
When I first heard about the program, I wished I lived in Ohio (just kidding lol). Actually, I was shocked and saddened, but not surprised. Isn’t it strange to offer money to people to do something that is in their best interest (although the anti-vaxxers would say we are not rewarding people for doing what is in their best interest but insuring them for doing something that may not be)? When the lottery was first announced, 25 million people visited the lottery website, and more than 1 million people got vaccinated. The results have been so impressive that I have read that the governor of California has announced a similar initiative in California. The truth is that most of us motivated by money. If there is no money involved, we quickly lose interest.
The Wung Tang strikes again!
Cash rules relationships
Cash rules careers
Cash rules our decisions
And apparently cash rules our health.
I think it is safe to say that the pursuit, acquisition and retention of money is not a uniquely American phenomenon. One of the most beloved passages in the scripture is the story of David and Goliath. A 17 year old boy triumphs over a seasoned, nine foot tall giant with nothing but a slingshot. The story is one of the longest chapters in the Bible, and is full of interesting insights as it recounts the action before, during, and after the climatic battle.
One of more interesting insights concerns a conversation that the troops were having before David arrived on the scene. The Message Bible escorts us to the scene with its characteristic brio:
The Israelites, to a man, fell back the moment they saw the giant—totally frightened. The talk among the troops was, “Have you ever seen anything like this, this man openly and defiantly challenging Israel?
The man who kills the giant will have it made. The king will give him a huge reward, offer his daughter as a bride, and give his entire family a free ride.”
Apparently, King Saul had adopted the CREAM mentality, and thought that if he offered a huge reward and his daughter, that would be sufficient motivation for someone in the army to fight Goliath However, no one takes the deal. I guess
The reward wasn’t big enough
His daughter wasn’t fine enough
or Goliath was so big, that no amount of money and no amount of beauty was considered worth the risk.
Enter David.
Although he inquired about the benefits he would receive it he fought Goliath, there is no evidence that he got any of them (Well he did marry one of Saul’s daughter, but the King was trying to trap David not reward him). With no contract and zero assurance about receiving the promised benefits, David stepped in the battle, into the history books, and into our hearts. Everyone loves David.
Why? It’s hard not to love someone with that kind of heart.
David was not motivated by money. David was motivated by mission. He says as much to Goliath:
David answered, “You come at me with sword and spear and battle-ax. I come at you in the name of God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel’s troops, whom you curse and mock. This very day God is handing you over to me. I’m about to kill you, cut off your head, and serve up your body and the bodies of your Philistine buddies to the crows and coyotes. The whole earth will know that there’s an extraordinary God in Israel. And everyone gathered here will learn that God doesn’t save by means of sword or spear.
Money is a by-product. It is the result of commitment to and mastery of something larger than itself . It is a reward for solving problems. Those who are motivated only by money rarely make any of it. David eventually became enormously wealthy—but that was not his ultimate pursuit. The truth is that there are some battles you won’t fight if you are only motivated by money. David wasn’t ruled by money—he was ruled by mission.
It is my prayer that you become more mission-minded than money minded. Why? Because most of the important things in life, money can’t buy.
Money can’t buy class
Money can’t buy courage
Money can’t buy conviction
Money can’t by contentment
Money can’t buy character.
Money can’t buy confidence
Money can’t buy common sense
Money can’t by compassion.
In fact, one wise man said that you can tell how rich you are by how many things you have that money can’t buy.