Motivating the Unmotivated

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
Heb 10:24 (ESV)

     Okay, I'll just say it at the onset.  I had trouble getting motivated to write this blog entry about motivation!  How lame is that?  Lack of motivation has been an ongoing struggle for me for awhile now.  I find myself feeling apathetic (sounds a lot better than "lazy" or "slothful") about my goals.  What's with that?  I will set goals and even break down the steps that it's going to take to reach those goals. When it's time to "take the next step", I freeze. Take a power nap. Decide to get a cup of coffee. Scrub the sink.  Those steps will only lead me to be a groggy, yet caffeinated procrastinator mama with a sparkling sink which will cause me not to want to cook supper because my beautiful sink might get dirty. You laugh.  Come on! Have you never been there?

A motivation isn't a motivation if it isn't motivating.  I know.  Another profound statement.  That's why you read my blog. What am I looking for when I set life goals?  What do I desire that my children accomplish in their life while under my roof and why do I want this?  If these achievements are not their own goals, will they be motivated to adhere to my instruction and guidance? If I don't see true value in the goals that I have for my own life or even for the day at hand, how will I stay on course until I reach the end of the road that I have been called to? If the ones under my charge don't see the worth of the tasks before them, what will keep them following my lead?

I think the wisest way to keep myself motivated (Listen up, Self!) is to be sure that I start by envisioning what I want others to remember about me when I die.  What legacy do I want to leave for my children and grandchildren?  As I write down specific qualities of character that I hope to live out and as I narrow down possible concrete activities that I want to experience (such as starting a charitable organization, teaching my granddaughter how to crochet, helping feed children in Africa, or mentoring other women in practical life skills), then I can work my way backward.  If those end-of- life ideals are 30 years away (which would make me 81 at death), where will I be on the road in twenty years?  What will I have to be doing one decade from now so that I can arrive at the goals that I have two decades from now? What would I like to see forming in my character and in my daily habits five years from now?  Now I'm starting to sense the sleeping motivation in the depths of my soul beginning to stir from its slumber.

A similar "tactic" must be used as we mothers attempt to motivate our children.  Their hopes and dreams will awaken as we wisely inspire them to look out over the horizon of their lives to see where their decisions today may end up leading them. Granted, they probably won't be able to glimpse (or even care at this young age) what their epitaph may say as an old adult.  How rich and rewarding it is, though, when we see our kids moving forward with zeal, even doing those tasks that are unpleasant to them, because of the internal motivations that are driving the goals that they have set for themselves.  What pleasure it brings to this mom's heart when I observe my child studying with delight and intensity because of an inner vitality that I could never formulate externally. She sees which stepping stones (practicing self-discipline, saving funds for a mission trip, voraciously reading to develop her mind, honing certain skills, studying today to be wiser tomorrow) will lead to her ultimate destiny. 

Effective and lasting motivation is most definitely intrinsic.  As a Christ follower, His calling upon my life will resonate with the deepest desires that were planted in me as tiny as mustard seeds waiting for germination and growth. The amazing combination of  the fertilizer of work, stirred into the soil of faith, saturated with the water of perfect timing, and shone upon with the intense sunshine of God's blessing will bring to fruition those God-ordained goals that were fully established in God's mind as He was knitting me (and you dear sister) together in my mother's womb. 

Now I may get hit by a car tomorrow and not realize the goals set before me.  But I don't want to meander my life away. I don't want to wander into the wilderness of aimlessness.  I so desperately want to hear the Shepherd's voice, even if it's only one step at a time.  I know the ultimate goal is to grow in the fruit of the Spirit which will impact the lives of others in this sea of humanity. This is also my hope and prayer for each of my kids.  That motivation is enough as long as I keep my eyes looking up, my ears poised to hear that Divine Voice, and my feet prepared to walk the walk.