This is a great question and I hope my answer will help guide and direct your life, which is the purpose of a motto! Quite frankly, I don’t remember having a motto or let’s say having one statement guiding my life until I was about 22 years old. My parents instilled in me a lot of values and positive thoughts about how to live my life and to grow to become a loving, kind and productive human being. There was, however, no one statement which was my focus on a daily basis until later in life.
One of the great mottos which comes from the Old Testament is Deuteronomy 6 NRSV 4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. [a] 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. My family lived by this and I was taught this! What also makes this important are the verses which follow.. 6 Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. 7 Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem[b] on your forehead, 9 and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. God’s Word encourages us to keep this motto in our hearts, speak it to our family and friends, make it our first thought when we wake in the morning and our last thought before falling asleep at night. It should be written down in clear sight to see throughout the day to remind us! This scripture has always been a guiding statement for my life, and I would hope it will become a part of who you are! I did, however, discover another scripture in my early 20s which would become my motto, my purpose statement!
By now, you have probably come to the understanding how my faith in God’s Word and in Jesus as the Son of God has been the main influence in my life. It was not always! As a child and into my early adult years, my faith in the Bible and Jesus were always a part of my life, but there were other interests. By the time I had graduated from college my faith was best described by the title of a popular song by the Doobie Brothers: Jesus is just alright by me! Following Jesus was up there with a lot of other great options!
Gotta Love the 70’s!
After graduating from college and now supporting myself, I began to find a lot of things I had been seeking really weren’t bringing me a joy or fulfillment. On the outside, everything in my life was great! I had accomplished some pretty big goals and though I wasn’t wealthy, I had more than enough money to do the things I enjoyed. Most humans enjoy being the center of their universe and I was certainly doing my best to rule my little world! It wasn’t like I was miserable, but I knew deep down there might be more to a fulfilled life than what I was pursuing.
During this time, some college acquaintances invited me to come and be a part of a group of friends who were studying the Bible together. These weren’t my closest friends from college, but they were people I always liked and felt were genuine. I began meeting with them. At first, I thought I was going to know all the answers. I had a minor in religion and had completed a semester in Old Testament and a semester in New Testament. I thought I was an expert! It didn’t take long before I realized there was a big difference between them and me. I knew the book. They knew the author. When I read the Bible, it was like a textbook. When they read it, it was like a letter from a wise and loving friend.
At this time, I was teaching 9th grade math. I was also singing in a restaurant in Lakeland and filling in at other venues when I could. I was the proverbial big fish in a little pond, but it provided extra money and was a part of my social life. When the group met, they always sang a few songs. I thought for sure they would ask me to help with the music, but they already had some pretty talented people leading. It was awkward, because they were singing some new and great songs about their faith which I didn’t know. It was good for me to sit on the side lines and just listen.
There was a song they would sing which really caught my attention based on Matthew 6: 33 But seek first the kingdom of God[a] and his[b] righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. NRSV I was familiar with the scripture, but somehow singing it brought out a feeling in me I hadn’t felt in a long time!
Over the course of several months, this verse began to really impact me. As I look back now, over 47 years later, this is probably the verse which has been my motto. Embracing it has affected all the decisions of my life. To be honest, I have made a few decisions when I didn’t embrace this motto which probably didn’t turn out so well. It really is simple. Is what I am doing seeking God’s Kingdom first or am I just seeking what is best for me. Quite frankly, seeking God’s Kingdom first has prevented a lot of bad decisions in my life.
If you chose to be the center of your universe, your life will always be small. If, however, you choose to let God be the center you will be a part of an amazing kingdom which goes beyond even what we can see in this life.
Gee Sprague, October 05, 2022