Motivation is a tricky thing. Sometimes I will do the right thing because I am glad to do what’s right. Not always, though; sometimes I don’t much feel like doing it, but still push myself to do what’s right because it’s the right thing. And other times I find that what motivates me to do the right thing is the recognition that there is some benefit to me in doing what’s right: or perhaps, I see that I’ll get in trouble if I don’t get it done.

It’s always prettier when my motivation is virtuous rather than self-serving: when I haven’t just been motivated by my desire for a reward for my obedience, or by my desire to avoid punishment for my failure. It would be great if I always did the right thing for a noble reason. But even when I’ve been motivated by a less-than-ideal reason, it’s important to note that it’s better that the right thing got done, instead of neglected.

So it would be a good thing for us to do the will of God just because it’s the will of God, or just because we want to please our Lord. But Leviticus does not assume that we will readily be motivated by the highest of motivations. Instead, it reckons – correctly! – that it will probably take more direct stimulus to train us in righteousness. “If you follow my statutes and keep my commandments and observe them faithfully,” then many blessings are promised (Leviticus 26:3-10). In particular, “I will place my dwelling in your midst, and I shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you shall be my people” (26:11-12).

And similarly, stark warnings are offered about bad consequences for disobedience: “I will punish you sevenfold for your sins. I will break your proud glory, and I will make your sky like iron and your earth like copper” (26:18-19). We await the day when it will indeed be pure love and devotion that move our hearts to act in goodness: but in the meantime, God is willing to train us into a pattern of living in righteousness by more mundane means.

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Teach us your way, O Lord. We are so stubborn, so hesitant to choose what is right, so reluctant to do your will: but we believe in you, and pray that you would train us day by day to follow you, so that in the end we do indeed delight to do your will, with your law written in our hearts.