Understanding Motivation

Recently we went through leadership training with over 30 of the leaders in our church. It was a fantastic day of laughter, fun and learning that led to a greater awareness of self in those that came. It was a great exercise in growing our self-awareness. I read once that we never rise above the level of our self-awareness. While self-awareness does not guarantee growth, growth rarely happens without it.

In this case the training focused, not on personality or behavior, but on motivation. Understanding motivation is powerful because it means looking underneath the surface to what causes us to do what we do. The more I reflect on it, the more meaningful this is. The writers of Scripture (and Jesus himself) frequently talked about the need to understand and guard our hearts. I am reflecting more about “why” I do what I do than I do the “what” I do. It is revealing, humbling and freeing. Consider:

1. We evaluate others on their behavior but we want to be evaluated by others based on our motivation. When we deal with others, we base our judgments on what we see (the actions they take) because no one can really know the motivation of another person. Yet when someone does that to us, we cry “foul” because it seems unfair. Instead of assuming we know why they are doing what they are doing, perhaps we should wait, not be quick to judge, and extend the benefit of the doubt.
   
2. When we try to understand our motivations, it reveals soul issues. When we stop to examine why we do what we do and honestly reflect on it, it always creates a window into our souls that allows us to deal with issues of identity that cause us repeated problems. When I examine my motivation, it softens my heart to treat people with the love, grace and challenge that benefits them the most.
3. Motivation is always connected to identity. We all desire acceptance, significance or security in our lives. Our motives go awry when we feel that any of these are threatened by another person or by a situation. It’s only when we remember that in Jesus we are fully accepted, totally significant, and utterly secure, that our motives begin to be purified by the Spirit.

My ongoing challenge is to continue to ask God to reveal my heart and motives. To draw out the deep, hidden places of my heart. In the end, I trust that this will lead to freedom.