Ever been in a season when you just can’t seem to get motivated?
Maybe that extra few minutes of sleep is calling your name, or one more Netflix episode is too tempting. Or maybe the idea of being super productive has lost its appeal, since it’s easier to stay in PJ’s and put off those goals for one more day, especially when we don’t know what unexpected circumstances today will bring.
The past months have given us plenty of reasons to be unmotivated.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve felt like those plants in my backyard right now, the ones with the crunchy brown leaves covering the ground below them. A plant going through its dormant season means no green no leaves, no blooms. And honestly, who can be motivated with all that?
Hope from the Bible When We Can’t Find Motivation
In Psalm 52, David seems a little more than frustrated with a traitor who loved “lying more than speaking what is right.” (Psalm 52:3) But what captured my attention most about this psalm is how David described himself, as someone who trusted the Lord, no matter what. In spite of every hardship David endured under the hand of Saul, he chose to compare himself to an olive tree. And by looking at what that comparison means, we can find the motivation to keep going, even through dormant seasons.
Finding It Hard to Get Motivated?
The olive tree may seem like a strange choice for David in that situation, but what he needed was the hope to persevere when things were at their worst, or when life brought more bad news his way. Maybe we’ve all been feeling a little unmotivated lately, so let’s take a look at 3 characteristics of the olive plant that can give us hope to find our motivation once again.
1. The olive tree is resilient. The oldest olive trees in history lived to be between 3000 and 4000 years old. Even more remarkable, at this age they still bear a crop of fruit every year. These trees are a symbol of longevity and perseverance.
2. The olive tree is valuable. Every part of the tree is useful and desired. The fruit is used for food, the oil for cooking and light. The leaves are used for medicine, and even the wood is valued by wood-workers.
3. The olive tree is determined. When the olive tree is chopped close to the ground, it easily sprouts back.
Through every trial in his life, David relied on God to be his source, so he could continue moving forward. God’s mercy is constant and unchanging. When we count on his strength to endure, we too can find the motivation to keep going, and bloom when the time is right:)
So when I feel like that dormant plant, I can remember today’s verse and trust God for the fruit. It doesn’t come from me, anyway. It comes from Him. And the truth is, sometimes we enjoy a fruitful season, while other times we wait. David knew this, which is evident in the very next verse:
“I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly” (Psalm 52:9).
Are you in a dormant season right now? Feeling a lack of motivation, or are you waiting for God’s say-so before you take that faith step? May God bless you in the waiting as you trust Him to prepare you for abundant fruit. Maybe this is a dormant season for you, and that’s okay. God is always preparing, so while we seek Him let’s also remember the olive tree and claim it over our lives.
You are valuable, determined, and resilient.
