How does one motivate
itself towards any undertaking? What causes it and its opposite - de-motivation?
Here’s something I came across to answer this question in one company, “To get employees to work on time, a Michigan company
provides 45 parking spaces for 50 cars.”[1] When there are triggers created, then the desired
motivation is achieved. Another story to illustrate the power of motivation, "I'm
so depressed and I can't get any dates," the 300-pound man told his
minister. "I've tried everything to lose weight." "I think I can
help," said the minister. "Be dressed and ready to go tomorrow at 8
a.m." Next morning, a beautiful woman in a skintight exercise suit knocked
on the man's door. "If you can catch me, you can have me," she said,
as she took off. He huffed and puffed after her. This routine went on every day
for the next five months. The man lost 115 pounds and felt confident that he
would catch the woman the next day. That morning he whipped open his front door
and found a 300-pound woman in a jogging suit waiting for him. "The
minister said to tell you," she began, "that if I can catch you, I
can have you." [2]
This story seems
funny to many of us yet it speaks volume of how one thing can trigger the
power of motivation that can change any person’s life in achieving their target
desires. It can be done but it must done right. Many have become great
motivational speakers and became effective in transforming many lives in the
process. Books have been printed in droves and became bestsellers. However,
there are still many people that we know both public and private that are still
defeated, discouraged, depressed and de-motivated. It seems that even with the
abundance of many sources of motivation, the effect is only temporary.
In the Scriptures,
the motivation of the apostle Paul in doing God’s will upon his life is simply
stated: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together
for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). It
is by having the firm knowledge that God is ultimately in control of every
aspect of his life that brought about in him to do what God called him to do.
By having this motivation, Paul did not waver in his determination to go where
God led him. It was his love for God that became his motivating factor to
suffer many unimaginable things that no ordinary man would choose to go through
if not for this strong bond of love towards God and His purpose. And this is
the reason why Paul became one of the greatest apostles of Jesus. Here’s his
complete speech of his life’s purpose summed up: “Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,
"For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as
sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life,
nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor
height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate
us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”(Romans 8:35-39)
Although, we may
never totally emulate Paul in his commitment to pay the ultimate price in
serving God yet we can find the source of his motivation was his unyielding love for God. And
with this knowledge, it will give us the strength and source of our
greatest motivation in any battles we may face in life. Having a power source greater
than anything that this world could offer is what we need to have the same
motivation as the apostle Paul. Anything that this world offers pales in comparison
for they are but temporary rush only that does not contain any lasting effect.
Therefore, never
settle for anything less than the power of God’s love to become the source of
your greatest motivation to live life to the fullest as God intended even in
the midst of your trials and tribulations.
Let’s talk again!
