Carrot, Stick, Or?

Carrot, Stick, Or . . . ?

Basically, behavior modification is the prime goal of a significant segment of society. In fact, it includes about everybody. Whether it be a mother trying to motivate Johnny to clean his teeth, or an Adventist minister attempting to help Mrs. Smith give up cigarettes, the element of motivation and behavior change is involved. . .

-Editor of Ministry at the time this article was written

A RECENT report in Time magazine revealed that various prison systems are attempting to modify behavior through a variety of programs. One facility gives inmates who commit infractions, such as lying or swearing, a shot of apormorphine, which brings on violent vomiting for fifteen minutes or so. It is rather significant that those inmates who do not volunteer for the various behavior modification programs have a "very low record of success." (See Time, March 11, 1974, p. 74.) As Adventist Christians, we do not accept the thesis that behavior is determined by conditioning from without, rather than from within. It is crucial for a person to choose to be changed.

Basically, behavior modification is the prime goal of a significant segment of society. In fact, it includes about everybody. Whether it be a mother trying to motivate Johnny to clean his teeth, or an Adventist minister attempting to help Mrs. Smith give up cigarettes, the element of motivation and behavior change is involved.

The importance of motivation is recognized in numerous areas such as industry, sports, education, and law. Why do people work? Why do they seek social acceptance? From an Adventist minister's viewpoint, why do members get their Ingathering goal? Why do they give to build a new church? Why do we work to gain new converts? Why do we build a hospital or run a school? The standard Christian answer in all probability would be, "Love for Christ."

This answer reveals the only and greatest possible motivation that can permanently modify a person's behavior. A most remarkable inspired statement supports this concept:

"It is not the fear of punishment [stick], or the hope of everlasting reward [carrot], that leads the disciples of Christ to follow Him. They behold the Saviour's match less love, revealed throughout His pilgrimage on earth, from the manger of Bethlehem to Calvary's cross, and the sight of Him at tracts, it softens and subdues the soul. Love awakens in the heart of the beholders. They hear His voice, and they follow Him."--The Desire of Ages, p. 480.

But what about us? Do we as shepherds of the flock operate a program in harmony with this exalted truth?

Satan's Salesmanship

Perhaps the reason Satan is so successful in persuading men to remain loyal citizens of his kingdom is the fact that he can appeal to any and every motive in the carnal heart of man. Whether it be a desire for supremacy, appetite, love of display, or insecurity and fear it makes no difference as long as he gets results. He incessantly bombards the world with his powerful propaganda. The mass media work hand in hand with his communications program. Television, stage and screen, magazines, newspapers, radio, billboards, even the common supermarket, all include programs and advertisements dedicated to one purpose that of persuading people to do what he wants them to do without much, or any, conscious thought. One would have to be deaf, dumb, and blind to escape his high pressure salesmanship that is evident everywhere.

Should the church, however, use these same motives and methods to achieve its objectives? Certainly there is nothing wrong with using modern techniques in the raising of funds, production and distribution of literature, or even the winning of souls, as long as the methods and motives are right.

A beautifully printed brochure portraying what a new church building will look like when it is finished is quite appropriate and valuable. The organization of the church, so that the annual Ingathering campaign can be a blessing, is also in order. A finely executed evangelistic program is a must. But any of these good church programs can be fostered in such a way as to put them in a class with bingo parties, raffles, circuses, or the promotion of a boxing match.

It is so easy to rationalize and throw a religious garment over church endeavors, fostered purely from a statistical viewpoint. But when we do so, our motives come under the scrutiny of our Lord. Any element in a church program that appeals to man's selfish, sinful nature constitutes an offense to the holy God whom we serve.

What Ellen White said of motivating students in our schools is true of other church programs: "More harm than good results from the practice of offering prizes and rewards." Counsels to Parents and Teachers, p. 270. Alfred Adler, in his book, What Life Should Mean to You, characterizes the effects of competition in schooling as disastrous to the individual, whether or not he is the loser or the winner. William Classer, a psychiatrist who is devoting himself more and more to education, lists love and self-worth as the two pathways man has dis covered that lead to the development of successful identity, which is the single basic need that people require. He commented that schooling presently emphasizes isolation rather than cooperation and involvement.

Objectives reached by tawdry competition are degrading to both pastor and people. Liberality of time, energy, and funds on the part of any member that stems from the desire to receive pins, plaques, ribbons, or even the lavish praise of the pastor, is entirely out of the realm of Christian principle. For a spiritual leader to manipulate any type of church campaign by use of competitive, embarrassing, coercive, or flattering methods, is not only unscriptural, but an outrage to the God who has called us to worship Him in sincerity and truth.

To gain some religious financial objective by appealing to a man's appetite, pride, or sense of shame is a violation of true Christian ethics. It is recognized that the "few" carry the burden of the church program. This is a deplorable fact. But are we to use this as an excuse for obtaining our goals by questionable methods and motives?

Ecclesiastical Merchandising

Our coffers may increase and our budgets bulge as the result of wrong methods, but this is no sign of true success. The rich merchandising of the ecclesiastical power described in Revelation 18 is an indication of her wickedness, not her success. The number of patients treated, the number of baptisms, the enormous sums of money raised for church purposes, the amount of acreage, the membership figures, the number of lessons graded, the circulation statistics, the number of pieces of clothing given to the poor, the quantity of food baskets distributed at Thanksgiving and Christmas, the size of the attendance, does not necessarily mean a project or program is a success in God's sight.

Perhaps some of the Old Testament priests boasted of the number of lambs they slaughtered each year. Others may have advertised the number of times they offered incense to God. Could it be that even some of the Israelites bragged of their repeated sacrifices for sin? To these and other insensitive souls the Lord cries out:

" 'What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? ... I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of he-goats. . . . Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me' " (Isa. 1:11-13, R.S.V.).

Again, through Amos the Lord declared: " 'I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and cereal offerings, I will not accept them' " (Amos 5:21, 22, R.S.V.).

Why did the Lord speak this way through His prophets? Acceptable motivation was lacking. The whole system decayed into a routine and, perhaps, competitive ceremony.

The Flourish of Trumpets

Jesus protested against wrong motivations when He admonished His hearers to " 'Be careful not to make a show of your religion be fore men; if you do, no reward awaits you in your Father's house in heaven. Thus, when you do some act of charity, do not announce it with a flourish of trumpets, as the hypocrites do in synagogue and in the streets to win admiration from men. . . . When you do some act of charity, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing; your good deed must be secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you' " (Matt. 6:1-4, N.E.B.).*

When a man can give without receiving praise and honor, when a person can work for souls be cause he is inspired with awe and gratitude for his God, when an individual can serve Christ because he considers his actions an act of worship from a heart filled with love, then he is truly motivated by the only motivation acceptable to Heaven.

We appeal to our ministry and members to cleanse our church programs from any practice that may strengthen the propensities of the carnal heart of man. If we could see the eternal harmful results of any program that promotes self and not the Saviour we would surely change our course of action.

Must the church award plaques to people who win souls? Must we recognize "star" collectors with an extra week's vacation or a trip to Europe? The beating of drums, banqueting, and offers of prizes of every description for service rendered debilitates the spiritual power of the church. It is almost sacrilegious to attempt to imagine Christ urging His disciples to more intense activities by offering them a new suit of clothes or a set of The SDA Bible Commentary.

Motives Rewarded

One concept should be constantly uppermost in our minds. We cannot divorce church affairs from salvation. Any church business that is incompatible with the principles of the cross of Calvary should be canceled. The cross is the cornerstone on which the church is built. The plan of salvation was not laid on a foundation of competition, transitory rewards, applause, or self-glorification. Its roots were sunk deep in the soil of sacrifice. Its depth is measureless.

It would be well to read again such passages as pages 195-197 in Counsels on Stewardship entitled "The True Motive in All Service." These heart-searching paragraphs effectively point out God's plan for all fund-raising campaigns and missionary activities.

Instead of "How much did we make tonight?" our people should be inspired to ask, "What did we do to advance God's cause to night?" Instead of "Who's to be given the credit?" we should all say, "Thank God for what He has accomplished!"

Our intensity of love for God and the thrill of being part of His last great work should compel us into dynamic action that will result in the greatest harvest of souls the world has ever witnessed, as by precept and example we lead hungry souls to acknowledge Him whose great love for us led Him to make Himself "of no reputation."

Remember that when our Lord returns, "the reward will be ac cording to the motives which prompted the action." --Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 520.


* From The New English Bible. © The Delegates of the Oxford University Press and the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press 1970. Reprinted by permission.


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-Editor of Ministry at the time this article was written

July 1974

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