I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. – Jeremiah 3:7

Today's Scripture Reading (June 24, 2026): Jeremiah 3

Sir John Whitmore (1937-2017), English Racing Driver and pioneering executive coach, argued that "The carrot and the stick are pervasive and persuasive motivators. But if you treat people like donkeys, they will perform like donkeys (John Whitmore). I like the quote, even if I think it misses the point. There is truth in the idea that if we treat people like animals, they will act like animals. If we treat them like children, they will act like children. There is a married couple in my circle of influence whom I have known since early in my teenage years. They were adults and church leaders during my adolescence, and I was a stereotypical teenage rebel with long hair and a bad attitude. For the first few years of our relationship, that is who I was. But I grew up, got married to a wonderful girl, and became an adult (Yeah, I know, some out there wonder about the adult part). Amazingly, my wife knew this couple as well. I still run into these people once in a while. But every time I do, I feel like that rebellious teenager again. It is like five decades later, they still see me as that sixteen-year-old they once knew. As a result, the temptation to become that kid again is almost overwhelming.

Carrot and stick sum up two modes of motivation. The carrot represents any positive reinforcement that supports desired behavior. The stick is the pain or negative reinforcement we attach to behaviors we should avoid. For a donkey, the carrot and the stick are quite literal. We often envision the donkey chasing after the carrot while being hit from behind with a stick. However, all of us humans are also motivated by both positives and negatives, albeit different ones.

Judah had a front row seat for both the rebellion of Israel and the aftermath that Israel suffered as a direct result of that rebellion. As a motivator, the destruction of Samaria was the stick. The message was that if Judah persisted in its rebellion, this was what could happen to them.

However, Josiah was on the throne of Judah, and Josiah was a good king. "[Josiah] did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left" (2 Kings 22:2). Josiah did what was right, and in doing so, he set a good example for Judah. This example was the carrot. The message was, "You too can be successful if you follow the ways of King Josiah." It is a carrot that we still use. We send messages, especially to our teens, about the benefits of getting outside and spending time with friends or playing sports by having professionals from various local sports clubs share the message, thinking that more importance would be attached to the desired behavior if it is what Connor McDavid (National Hockey League) or George Springer (Major League Baseball) believes is right.

God admits that he thought that Judah would return to him if they saw these two things in action, but instead, they decided to act like donkeys.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 4