~ Step 4: Understand Your Motivations ~
NOTE: This Discipleship Model is a special 7-part
series showing a clear path to spiritual victory. One step will be posted each
day for a calendar week. After completion of this series Abundant Life Now will
“resume regular programming.”
Motivation is an important subject
to all of us. There are times when we would like to motivate our kids, sometimes
our spouses, our employees, etc. Sometimes we know we aren't adequately
motivated ourselves!
Where does motivation come from? A
key motivation is from our attitudes. Most of our attitudes are formed slowly
through repeated thought patterns. An attitude can also change quickly due to a
strong emotional event.
I once heard of a hard-working
Christian couple who skimped and saved in order to send their only child, a
daughter—Barbara, away to a fine Christian college. One day they received the
following letter;
“Dear Mom & Dad,
“I met this neat guy a couple of months ago. He doesn't go to school, in fact he dropped out of high school! He's trying hard to find a job, but he has no work experience of any kind—nor does he know what to do with his life. But the important thing is that we really love one another. Mom, Dad, I know you won't approve ... but I've been living with him, my grades have dropped real low, and I'm pregnant! I think I'm going to withdraw from all my classes to avoid receiving failing grades!”
(The tear-struck couple turned to the second
page as best they could with their trembling hands.) The letter continued...
“Everything you read on the first
page is false! However, this term I have dropped from straight A’s to a mixture
of A’s and B’s and I do need some extra expense money real bad. Love to you
both—as always, Your daughter, Barb."
Now Barbara knew how to motivate her
parents through a change of attitude! She motivated them to not be overly upset
about her grades and to be willing to help with extra expense money.
But just what is motivation?
Your motivation is the reason behind
your actions—your “motive—action.” Virtually all of our motivations can be
broken into one or more of three types:
(1)
Positive ~
This motivation is to obtain something or gain an advantage. This is the
reward or “carrot and stick” approach based upon an incentive of some kind. It depends on an external stimulator.
(2)
Negative ~
This motivation seeks to avoid a loss or a disadvantage. This is the punishment
approach, and action based on fear is
designed to avoid a negative result. This motivation is also dependent upon an
external stimulator.
(3)
Attitude ~
There are three important differences which separate this motivation
from the first two. First, this motivation can be either positive or negative.
Second, it is internal and not
dependent upon external factors. Third, and most importantly, the first two are
temporary (they only work while the external factor is in play) but the
internal or intrinsic motivation is much more permanent (but does need
continuing cultivation).
Our
motive for action is rarely only one of these three motivations. Usually there
are at least two of the three involved and often all three are involved.
Consider the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ, and the salvation it can bring.
(1) Positive:
The gain of heaven and to be with God
forever can be a motivation for many.
(2) Negative:
Avoidance of hell and the wrath of God
can be a motivation for others.
(3) Attitude:
“We love Him, because He first loved us”
(1 John 4:19) is a motivation for many.
While
all three are valid motivations, may I suggest that the most worthy motivation
is our love response to Him—without that being at least a part of a decision for
Christ, one could wonder if salvation has in fact occurred. Attitudinal
motivation will be part of the motivation of anyone who understands what the
Lord has done on the Cross on their behalf.
This
internal motivation has a strong basis in Scripture. Consider these examples:
“Keep thy heart
with all diligence” (Proverbs 4:23a kjv).
“Above all else,
guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23 niv).
“Delight
yourself in the Lord and He will put the right desires in your heart” (Psalms
37:4a).
“A
good man out of the good treasure of his heart” (Luke 6:45a).
“He answered and said to them, ‘Well did Isaiah prophesy
[Isaiah 29:13] of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me’” (Mark
7:6-7a).
“And everyone who has this hope [of Christ’s coming back for
His own] in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3).
Step 1: Paradox
~ Understand your partnership
with God.
Step 2: Thinking
~ Choose to control your
thoughts!
Step 3: Attitude
~ Increasingly rely on properly
cultivated attitudes.
Step 4: Motivation
~ Be motivated predominately by
yourself, rather than by external factors.
The next step will focus on gaining control of your lifestyle.
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
