Motivation

This is Stu Epperson from the Truth Talk Podcast, connecting current events, pop culture, and theology. And we're so grateful for you that you've chosen the Truth Podcast Network.

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This is the Truth Network. The heart of every man craves a great adventure, but life doesn't usually feel that way. Jesus speaks of narrow gates and wide roads, but the masculine journey is filled with many twists and turns.

So how do we keep from losing heart while trying to find the good way when life feels more like a losing battle than something worth dying for? Grab your gear and come on a quest with your band of brothers who will serve as the guides in what we call the masculine journey. The masculine journey starts here, now. It would be, it would be possibly a boring show as well. Radio charades.

That's the topic for tonight? It is. It is. Thanks for listening. I actually did an interview with a mime one time. Of course he did. I really did. It was very interesting.

Definitely, definitely. Well, the topic that I picked tonight was motivation. And you know, where it really came from me on it was more of a, yes, we have salvation and redemption and all that as motivation. But really, when life is really like just stepping on you and kicking you down, what motivates you, you know, to continue your walk in the morning with God?

And how does that motivate you? Sounds like a good topic. Yeah, definitely. So, Robby, I think you have the first clip according to David.

Guess picked it. Yeah, so I'm using the movie Aladdin. And you know, as I was sitting at dinner, I realized some people haven't seen Aladdin.

So I got to set this up a little bit. There's this bad guy. He's the kind of the assistant to the king, sort of a brazier or whatever you call him. His name is Jafar. And he is an evil sorcerer.

And he has all sorts of powers. And he's certainly going to make a lot of Aladdin. Well, Aladdin has pretended because he met the genie and he got to be prince for a day, so to speak. One of his wishes was to be a prince so he could win Jasmine.

And so he's kind of wearing a mask is what we talk about in the masculine journey is the poser. And so he's posing that he is a prince. But Jafar, you know, comes to understand this. And so he essentially, you know, exposes Aladdin's pose as a snake, right? And he rips off what, you know, shows Jasmine what Aladdin really is. And so here you see the classic fight scene between Aladdin and Jafar, who at this point in time is a snake. But what happens is Aladdin, after he gets revealed, actually rises up to the prince heart that he really has to save Jasmine. And in the case of Outsmart's poor Jafar, who is going to entrap himself, we'll talk about that when it comes after the clip.

You stay out of this. Jafar, Jafar, he's our man. If he can't do it, great!

Fool. You thought you could defeat the most powerful being on Earth. Squeeze him, Jafar.

Squeeze him like a cat. Without the genie, boy, you're nothing. The genie. The genie. The genie has more power than you'll ever have. What? He gave you your power. He could take it away. Al, what are you doing?

Why are you bringing me into this? Face it, Jafar. You're still just second best.

You're right. His power does exceed my own, but not for long. The boy is crazy. He's a little punch drunk.

One too many hits for the snake. Slave! I make my third wish. I wish to be an all-powerful genie! Alright, your wish is my command.

Way to go, Al. The universe is mine to command. To control!

Not so fast, Jafar. Aren't you forgetting something? You wanted to be a genie. You got it. What?

Everything that goes with it. No! No! I'm getting out of here! The nominal cosmic powers! Come on, you're the genie!

I love you! Itty bitty living space. Itty bitty living space. And so the idea there is kind of fascinating. Spurgeon says this, and I think about it often, that we often need to get a good whiff of our inner cesspool. And so when you get a whiff of your inner cesspool, it tends to motivate me as to realize how far from God in a way I am. And of course Jafar's getting a good whiff right here. As he chooses sin over doing what's right, he ends up with these phenomenal cosmic powers and itty bitty living space, right? And so I've definitely chose that. So I know how Jafar feels, because that's the opposite of freedom, and that's kind of where sin has you bound.

But then the other interesting thing is when your pose gets ripped off, and Satan often is the one who is tasked with that, what he meant for evil, God means for good. And so I've had this happen in my life, oh, so many times. I could tell so many stories.

So I'm just going to tell a short, easy one. So last spring, the doctors told me that my A1C was at seven, right? Which was saying that, oh, goodness, you're fixed to have a lot of problems with diabetes. Which, you know, I got a smell of my inner cesspool.

I really did. Like, oh, yeah, and I was very motivated all of a sudden, because I don't want to lose toes or kidneys or eyes or any of that stuff. And I got really motivated. And I really changed some habits as far as taking walks. And as a result, actually, of getting that whiff of my inner cesspool, I got closer to God, because part of what I used as my solution, you know, was to go on these walks with God and these different things that really all led to that. And I hate that he often has to use, accessionally, the snake whip on me. One too many hits for the snake.

And anybody who knows me knows it's obvious I'm butt-shrunk. Well, there you go. Just shenanigans, shenanigans, shenanigans. Yeah, it's just a whole life full. So, David, when you're thinking about this topic of motivation, you know, what do you think people usually use as motivation? I guess where I'm going with that is, sometimes I think we focus on the duty, the obligation, the, oh, I got to go read my Bible.

Yeah, like your daily devotionals, that kind of stuff. Yeah, not that discipline's bad. Discipline is good.

But, you know, you're talking what's deeper than discipline. Yeah, I'm talking about when, you know, for a whole weekend you're just battling spiritual warfare left and right, and, you know, you just wanted to stop and you're like, it's easier to just say, okay, this is what it is, versus getting out of bed and saying, this is what it is, but let me put my boots on, let me put my armor on, let me grab my sword, my shield, let me go out there and, you know, kick some rear end kind of thing. So, versus just waking up and, you know, saying prayers in the morning, that's great, I do that too, and getting your devotional, I'll do those as well, but there's just some more oomph behind it that, for me personally, in the motivation of moving forward.

Okay. Yeah, I mean, you look at the world, and it's like, oh, I'm going to put this rubber band on my arm, I'm going to snap it, and that's just going to remind me, and I'm going to, I'm like, these little self-help tricks and tips, and it's like, man, that's just, it's just a facade, and it's like, it never lasts, and it's like, oh, what's the next trick and the next tip, and it's like, no, that's not about that, it's about a lifelong walk with God, and the more, like you said, David, you get up and you look in the mirror and you see yourself, and like, the more I can see God in that mirror instead of me, I'm going the right way, and it's like, just when you look and you don't see God, and you look at your life and you don't see God, but you want to see God, it's like, okay, I've got to walk in that path. It's not a Debbie Downer, it's not about, the more you sit there and look at yourself and say, oh, man, I just, I sinned again, or I did this same old thing, I did that, and you're just kind of keeping track, it really is a detractor and can depress you, but if you're looking to Him, and you're always looking to Him, and always looking to Him, and you're just going to naturally be more conformed to Him and His image, because you're going to be working and looking towards Him, and that's just incredible motivation, because you start to feel it, and you're like, hey, I haven't done some of those things, I'm doing more of the positive things that I want to do.

Like Paul said, when I don't do what I want, it's sin in me, and it's like, well, yeah, that's what's going to happen, but the more you surround yourself with godly men, godly people, and you walk in the Word, it's that motivation. We talk about emotions and feelings, but it's something deeper, instead of just that superficial feeling and emotion. I was going to get you guys rubber bands. There you go.

Thanks, man. Yeah. Were they going to have our names on it, though?

Used to be strings around the finger, right? Used to be something. Harold, we've got a couple seconds. What about you? What do you use for motivation in your relationship with God?

Well, the love of Jesus, first of all, and wanting heaven and not wanting hell. Pretty good motivators. Absolutely. I was hoping you'd have a little more than that. I got a mint in my mouth.

Yeah, I did realize that after I asked you a question. I didn't know if you were trying to do Billy Bob Thornton or whatever. So we've got just a little bit of time before we go to break. Anyone else have any thoughts before we don't have time for a clip? Anyone? Bueller?

Jim? Well, I'd have to say it just to pick on our new guest host. Do you realize you're kicking people in the butt with the gospel of peace? If you're wearing the armor of God, that's what you're wearing on your feet. That's actually kind of a neat thought. Yeah, that is a neat thought. Don't everybody stop talking.

Well, we're at that weird little spot. What we do have, we have a boot camp coming up. That's coming up March. 30th through the April 2nd.

That's right. You can go to masculinejourney.org to register. We just got done with an entrenchment last weekend.

That was an amazing time. I know we'll have one coming up sometime in the future, but we don't know when for sure. We'll be announcing that as soon as we have another date set up at a somewhat local venue, I would think. You know, within the triad area somewhere.

Greater triad-ish area is what I would call that. And if you forget the date, just think of us, because we'll be there on April Fool's Day. We will. Yeah, it is March 30th through April 2nd, and really looking forward to that. It is an advanced camp, so if you haven't been to a boot camp, I'm sorry, an entrenchment. And unfortunately, you're going to have to wait until the fall to come see us at a regular boot camp. But in the meantime, if you've been to one of those, please come to our advanced camp.

So, you know, since we have a minute, I think this is really cool. The idea of inflammation, like a lot of people suffer with inflammation, and if you've ever really thought about the word inflammation, it has to do with inflamed. And when you're inflamed, what do you do?

You pour on the water. And so it's interesting, all the inflammation, what do you do when you've got a fever? You drink water.

What do you do when you've got, you know, all these other things? So when it comes to inflammation spiritually, the water of the word, get up early, take in some water. It'll help you with that inflammation. Very motivational for me personally, just saying. What we have at our boot camp is something that makes you stronger and gives you the strength to go on your regular walk with God.

It's something that will make you be bigger than you were when you got there. The first one, I had no clue what I was walking into, and then realizing that other people were in the same boat, and, you know, how open everybody was to share their struggle. It was a great group and a lot of contacting was able to be done. It is a tight bond of men, everybody's the same, and each and every time that I've come to boot camp, I've learned something different. And not one man that's ever been there neglects not to take time out to talk or to share. It's serious business, and you need to come one time and break bread with the men and fellowship, feel the atmosphere, hear the people pray, and get down to earth about what's going on in life and get real.

Register today at masculinejourney.org Welcome back to Masculine Journey. David, that was your bump. That was a great song. Can you tell us what it said at the very beginning of that?

Because I know that we know, because you told us earlier, but in case they couldn't hear it. So he says, I just need to hear you say that everything will be okay, and then he repeats that. I just need to hear you say that everything will be okay, and when I can't find the words, when I can barely breathe, I'm falling on my knees.

Heaven Help Me. And it's Heaven Help Me by Zach Williams. It's a great song. I definitely have used that in my early mornings and late evenings as some motivation song, just driving down the road.

So if you haven't heard it, I definitely highly recommend going out and listening to it. Yeah, sharpening the sword music. Yeah, yeah, so to speak. So Andy, I think you have the next clip. I believe I do. So I was kind of struggling finding the clip this week.

There's plenty out there on various motivation, you know, different aspects of motivation. And I really wanted to do some Rocky. I almost just submitted the Rocky theme song, you know. Not Rocky and Bullwinkle. No, no, no. Rocky the fighter, because I can remember watching the movie, and then I took off and started running around the apartment trying to get in shape and stuff. But no, my clip is from – yeah, no raw eggs.

I may have tried the raw eggs one time. But anyway, my clip is from Man of Steel, and I really, really like this clip. It's about Clark Kent coming to the earth, and what you have here is he saves some kids from a bus that's went into a river.

I think that's it. But anyway, his dad's talking to him, and the community's really hyping it, and they really don't want everybody to know. They know that he's come from another world years ago. And the father and the son here are talking about, you know, his role here on this earth, his purpose, and that he came from another world. We know a story like that, don't we?

And I just love this because it really focuses in on two things that really have touched my heart in the last few years, is the son and the father, just sonship, and also really purpose. So let's play it. There's more at stake here than just our lives, Clark, or the lives of those around us.

When the world finds out what you can do, it's going to change everything, our beliefs, our notions of what it means to be human, everything. You saw how Pete's mom reacted, right? She was scared of Clark. Why?

People are afraid of what they don't understand. Is she right? Did God do this to me? Tell me. We found you in this.

We were sure the government was going to show up at our doorstep, but no one ever came. This was in the chamber with you. I took it to a metallurgist at Kansas State. He said whatever it was made from didn't even exist on the periodic table. That's another way of saying that it's not from this world, Clark, and neither are you. You're the answer, son. You're the answer to are we alone in the universe. I don't want to be. And I don't blame you, son.

It would be a huge burden for anyone to bear. But you're not just anyone, Clark, and I have to believe that you were sent here for a reason. All these changes that you're going through, one day you're going to think of them as a blessing. And when that day comes, you're going to have to make a choice.

A choice of whether to stand proud in front of the human race or not. Can't I just keep pretending I'm your son? You are my son. But somewhere out there, you have another father, too, who gave you another name. And he sent you here for a reason, Clark.

Even if it takes you the rest of your life, you owe it to yourself to find out what that reason is. Not exactly like the story, but I mean, you have Jonathan Kent there, his father, Clark's father. Is that not like a modern day Joseph and how it would feel to have a son like Jesus come in and to change? Totally game changer. But that whole thing, that whole clip, you know, you got to focus on the sonship, the purpose, but also the identity.

Your father's given you another name. We've heard that before, right, in the boot camps. And that has become my motivation.

So much of my past, the motivation was on what I did and didn't do from day to day. Or I would be taken out by some circumstance or something that didn't work out the way I wanted it to. And then my read on that was, well, I must be doing something wrong. And that's such a limited, I don't know, immature. Myopic. Myopic.

We'll go with immature on this one. Just a total misunderstanding of who God is and what it is. And this is what I love about Masculine Journey, the teaching of it. It's to give you that context of what, we're in a war and not everything's going to just work out.

We talked a lot about that at the Entrenchment this weekend. But I just love that clip. And I love the fact that I really can say that with this mindset, with this understanding of being a son to the father, of my identity and my purpose, that the motivation comes day by day from those factors and nothing else. I mean, I know when other things sneak in and when that kind of takes me out.

But I catch it much quicker than I used to. But great topic on motivation because you have to have a full heart. You have to have wholeheartedness to be able to live this thing out. And with the improper motivation, believing in the wrong things, believing that some way doing something is going to get you what you need from God.

I mean, obviously, the relationship comes first and then the doing stuff. So, anyway. That's good. Jim, you want to say something? No, I was just preparing for the next clip. Oh, okay. Anybody else want to say anything?

I do. Actually, on that clip, it was talking about people fear what they don't understand. It makes me wonder, I know most of the reason the world attacks Christians is because the world is from the enemy. I mean, it really is.

And he's got control of a lot of that. But I wonder just how much of it on a personal basis comes down to since they don't live in that life and they can't understand it, it scares them. That kind of helped me have a different perspective as I listen to that because I'm thinking, okay.

Because it always frustrates me when I'm watching a TV show and they start running down Christians. And I'm like, okay, yeah, there's the extremists out there and that's what they always portray, right? But when they don't understand what we're talking about and how this walk with God really changes you from the inside out, if they've never lived it, they have no way to comprehend it. The thing that jumped out at me was you owe it to yourself. You were sent here with a purpose.

Yeah. And I love that, that you owe it to yourself if it takes the rest of your life, which by the way, it will. I mean, it really is, it's a beautiful part of the motivation of the adventure is to determine exactly what that, because that purpose changes from today to today. Yeah, there's a quote, and I know I'll get it wrong.

I sent it out the other day on something else I sent out. But it was really good that the two most important days in your life is the day you're born and the day you find out why, right? When you find out your purpose or start to uncover your purpose. You know, that's, I think that's one of the things we get asked the most at bootcamp is about calling. You know, I think everybody comes in with some level of question on that. They don't, maybe they don't understand that posing is going to talk about and wounds and all that. But I think they kind of figured there's going to be something about why am I here? And that new name is so critical to understanding your identity. I mean, and that's very much connected to your purpose of the clip was, it's outstanding because it really is. Even though it's Jesus's story, it's really every one of our stories. So I think you're Superman.

I really do. Jim, we want to go ahead and get your clip in. So if you want to tell us about it. Well, I won't tell you much movie I've never heard of.

Don't remember the name of it. And it's a suspect philosophy teacher teaching a class. All right, so just play it, play it.

All right, here we go. This is what Pascal means when he says that we are only truly happy when daydreaming about future happiness, or why we say the hunt is sweeter than the kill or be careful what you wish for, not because you'll get it, because you're doomed not to want it once you do. So the lesson of Lacan is living by your wants will never make you happy.

What it means to be fully human is to strive to live by ideas and ideals and not to measure your life by what you've attained in terms of your desires, but those small moments of integrity, compassion, rationality, even self-sacrifice, because in the end, the only way that we can measure the significance of our own lives is by valuing the lives of others. And that ultimately speaks to my whole life. I grew up trying to learn everything.

In fact, I was about to give up on this clip when he hooked me with Pascal, who's one of my heroes. But I pursued science. I had 58, 11 jobs of different flavors over many, many years. And the key to that was what he said. Once I had accomplished something, once I'd reached a goal, I was tired of that.

It was time for something else until I learned that my real goal is people and God. And those are intertwined. I go by Jesus' two commandments, which are connected. To be obedient, you love people. And the way you show God you love him is being obedient.

And that's been sort of my simple theme for all of my motivation is just to show love and appreciate others. That's a whole lot better than learning a bunch of stuff. Yeah, it is. Thank you, Jim. It makes me not want to watch that movie either.

Just saying I don't know what it is, and I'm okay with not knowing what it is. But we have just a little bit of time coming up. Please go to masculinejourney.org to register for the upcoming boot camp if you've been to. It's an advanced camp if you've been to a boot camp before. If you've been to an entrenchment, please go register. If not, we'll see you in the fall. We're going to have another boot camp there. We're also going to have some entrenchments coming up sometime this year.

Don't know how many or how often. We're still praying about that and letting God lead that. And so we're not really sure what that looks like. And so, again, masculinejourney.org is your best way to find out what's going on because we'll have it posted there if we've got it scheduled. Other than that, we're on all the social media.

So you can go to Facebook and find Masculine Journey Radio, Instagram, Twitter, all that kind of stuff. You can do that there. And so please consider checking us out on those. And really, if you enjoy this show, just pray about who you might share it with. Who you might email and say, wow, you guys got to listen to these guys. Because as God gives you an opportunity to share the light, what an opportunity that might be. Thank you. Yeah, that would be very good for us to share that with others and let people know that we're there. We're going to let the music play out and we'll talk to you next week.