Finding the right motivation …

During the 90’s, a convention of some of the most brilliant thinkers of our time met in Chicago to discuss the concept of motivation. After days of fleshing out this topic together, the final conclusion of the delegates was that they didn’t know where motivation comes from.

That’s because motivation is a very personal thing. How we are motivated, and by what we are motivated, has to do with what we believe, who we believe, and what is important to us. When something taps into those values, it often can serve as a source of motivation for us.

I’m reminded of the story about a man who often took a shortcut through a cemetery on his way home from work. One dark night, unaware that a new grave had been dug directly in his path, the man stumbled and tumbled into the open grave. For some time he struggled to get out of the seven-foot-deep hole, but finally gave up and settled down for the night.

An hour later, a farmer out possum hunting came walking through the cemetery and he, too, fell into the grave. The first man listened as the farmer struggled mightily to get out of the grave, then reached over in the pitch darkness and laid a hand on his shoulder.

“You can’t get out of here,” the man told the farmer … but he did!

The Apostle Paul helps us identify a key source of motivation for us, something that fits perfectly into the values of a believer.

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people,” Colossians 3:23.

“So whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God,” 1 Corinthians 10:31.

When we make glorifying God, the One we love above all others, our source of motivation, we can propel ourselves to putting forth our best effort because they are offered for Him.

How does glorifying God motivate you in the things you do? How can it become a real source of motivation for you?

Scotty