Fear of Punishment Is A Bad Motivation 

Exodus 9:33-35 (NIV) – 33 Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the LORD; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. 34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. 35 So Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses.

When God sent a plague of hailstorms, Pharaoh and Egyptians became very afraid. Everyone who ignored God’s word and left animals and people out in the field, lost them. There was fear all over Israel. Out of fear, Pharaoh pleaded with Moses, to ask God to stop the plague of hailstorm.

Exodus 9:27-28 (NIV) – 27 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said to them. “The LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. 28 Pray to the LORD, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don’t have to stay any longer.”

Pharaoh repented his sins, motivated by the fear of hailstorm. Pharaoh repented the sins of all his people, motivated by the fear of the hailstorm. Pharaoh acknowledged the fact that God is right and he and his people are wrong, but motivated by the fear of hailstorm. Pharaoh promised to release Israelites to lead Egypt as God had requested, but he was motivated by fear of the hailstorm. He promised to do the will of God, but motivated by the fear of hailstorm.

Listening to Pharaoh while speaking under motivation of fear, one would be tempted to think that fear is such a good motivation. Making such confessions, decisions and promising to do the will of God. This seems like the best motivation. He was motivated by the fear of punishment!

Exodus 9:33-35 (NIV) – 33 Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the LORD; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. 34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. 35 So Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses.

When the punishment was lifted, Pharaoh had no motivation, he backslid and sinned again. When there was no motivation, he doubted God and rejected the word of God. Fear of punishment was not a sustainable motivation. Fear of punishment is a bad motivation!

If you fear failure, you will study to pass but never to understand. After examinations, you will never be able to explain what you learned, because the motivation is gone. You will not look nor behave like somebody who studied and had such qualifications. Fear is a bad motivation, because what is inspired by fear, ceases when there is no more fear.

What motivates your sexual morality? Fear of being caught? Fear of pregnancy? Fear of sexually transmitted diseases? Fear of terminal diseases transmitted through sex? Fear of shame and embarrassment when caught? Fear of losing your current relationship? Are you really sexually moral or are you afraid? Choose one! What if what you fear ceases to exist? Would you still be moral? Fear of punishment is a bad motivation!

What motivates your conduct at work? Fear of loss of income? Fear that you may be fired? Fear that you will be found unproductive? What if you find another secure job or if your business thrives? You will discover that you did not believe in that job. You will discover that the mission and vision of that organisation never inspired you. You will discover that it was for the money. If you are a preacher, you would never preach again because it was all for the money. When the fear is removed, the motivation goes. Fear is a bad motivation!

What motivates your christianity? Do you fear hell? Do you fear that without God, witches will bewitch you? Do you fear that without God you may remain poor? Do you fear that without the church you may lack a community of people to run to when in trouble? Do you fear that God will punish you with a hard life if you abandon faith? When that fear if gone, you quit the church for good to the shock of many people who were amazed by your passionate commitment to the church. Your motivation was fear. Fear is a bad motivation!

This is why a person struggles to remain faithful. This is why a person exemplifies great christian faith. Yet when they become an African politician and sudden riches come, their fear is gone, motivation gone, they quit christianity. No longer coming to church. No longer preaching but now politicking. No longer a regular worshipper. Fear was the motivation. Fear of punishment is a bad motivation.

If your children are motivated by fear of punishment, what happens when they grow up and you can’t punish them? Will they follow your ideals that were instilled through fear? Will they continue relating with you as they now do under fear? Fear of punishment is a bad motivation!

John 21:17 (NIV) – The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

Jesus asked Peter same question three times. Do you love Me? Peter had betrayed Jesus when he was threatened to die with Jesus. He wasn’t motivated by a genuine love for Jesus. He was motivated by fear of missing out if he didn’t follow Jesus. Now Jesus asks Peter if he is now motivated by love. From this point on, Peter was motivated by love for Jesus. He preached under threats of death. He faced death by crucifixion. He was no longer motivated by fear of his own death, but by love for his Master.

What motivates you in school? What motivates you at work? What motivates your christianity? What motivates your relationship to your spouse? What motivates you? May God save us from fear as a motivation. May God grant us sustainable motivations. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

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