Excuse me!  I really have no excuse for writing a post like this other than the fact that I was truly motivated by a reblog on THE ARCHITECT’S DIARY.

You can read the original post directly on http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/motivation/.

A post is best when it causes the reader to think, to learn a lesson or to conjure memories.  For me several thoughts developed from this post…stream-of-consciousness style.  And there is absolutely no excuse for my tardiness in getting this to Linda on Saturday except that the Motivational Monday article only came out today.

First the idea of being an architect, a builder, morphed itself into the concept of edification or edify—to use both noun and verb forms.  The architect’s motivational article also edified, built a positive concept and drew our attention to detail. More on that later.

Then the title itself, “Motivational Monday,” made me wonder if the author believed that Monday were the first day of the week.  Initially I thought he would tell us what to do on a Sunday or how to use our Sundays productively, and I had a plethora of thoughts along those lines.  Medical personnel tell us that taking a deliberate rest to rejuvenate our minds and bodies is an absolute necessity.  After all God rested on the 7th day from all His labors and Jews have observed a Sabbath throughout their generations.  The body and the mind both need refurbishing, regeneration and rejuvenation.

Another trail of the mind led into the derivation of words being used.  The 21st Century word motivate is defined as an inducement, reason, purposefulness, or goal.  Other synonyms could be:

1. incentive, inspiration, motive, stimulus, reason, spur, impulse, persuasion, inducement, incitement, instigation, carrot and stick Money is my motivation.

2. inspiration, drive, desire, ambition, hunger, interest The team may be lacking motivation for next week’s game.

Quotes from that same thesaurus are listed below:

1. Good intentions … like very mellow and choice fruit, they are difficult to keep —G. Simmons

2. (I simply) ran out of motives, as a car runs out of gas —John Barth

3. The true motives of our actions, like the real pipes of an organ, are usually concealed —Charles Caleb Colton

An architect draws, designs and builds buildings or edifices—some larger than others.  For Christians, the Greek word edify is also one aspect of the work of the church. The Greek word #3619 oikodome, from which is translated our New Testament word “edification,” means “(the act of) building, building up — in the N.T. metaph., edifying, edification, i.e. the act of one who promotes another’s growth in Christian wisdom, piety, holiness” Edification refers to the spiritual strengthening of the church, doing that which results in the body of Christ being built up. The word edify comes from the same word as edifice which has to do with a building—NT:3618 oikodomeo (oy-kod-om-eh’-o); from the same as NT:3619; to be a house-builder, i.e. construct or (figuratively) confirm: It comes from 3619 – architecture.

It is good to consider speaking in order to edify. We can speak that which is good to the use of edifying, and we can speak things that tear down (1 Thess. 5:11). We are told to speak that which edifies, which builds up.  Ephesians 4:11-12—The Lord has made provision for the edifying of the church.  “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”  Part of this is speaking the truth in love that we may grow up into Him.  We are to speak that which edifies, that causes us to be built up, to grow up into Christ (Eph. 5:15; Rom. 15:12; Rom. 14:19).

Whew!  My thoughts go on and on as I read other parts of this message—truly a Motivational Monday and Stream-of Consciousness too!