There are a set of motivational categories that we'll briefly discuss here. All (or most) of our guiding values instigate these motivations. We are motivated by all of these but one or two more than any others. Marketers try to get a hit on several with some of their tag lines. When you think about choices, opportunities, activities, etc. that excite you, to what ones are you more attracted? As you recall some of those driven, exciting times, see if you can find yourself in the motivational categories. Here are the categories:
Utilitarian: "What's in it for me?" "I'm motivated by the concept if it's useful and practical." There has to be utility. Perhaps even a future gain. You can hear this in people who talk about rewards in heaven. Also, as people talk about gaining rewards here on earth--peace, prosperity and so on.
Theoretical: "Teach me something new." "Knowledge is power." People here are looking for the next great idea. They're motivated if they can get a greater understanding of the situation especially if it leads to improvements or opportunities.
Aesthetic: Pleasing forms and formats, harmony, creative expression. They want to make the world a more beautiful, livable area.
Social: "We're in this together. We need to work as a team." People-focus and reduction of conflict--"Can't we all just get along." Kindness, altruism, empathy, generosity are prime desires and drivers. You can read a lot of this in the Greek scriptures' epistles on how to have community life. Dickens' A Christmas Carol is thought to refute economic utilitarianism and point out its lack of emotional appeal on these grounds.
Individualism, Politics: Looking for power and retaining power and influence over others. Recognition and being viewed as important--through formal or informal leadership channels--are prime for this person. We can see some of this in the twelve disciples especially the ones vying for places next to Christ. They may not like Christ's message of "the last shall be first" and if you want to lead, you have to be their servant.
Traditional, Regulation: "She's the boss. Let's do it." "Ours is not to question why; ours is to do or die." (Tennyson's Charge of the Light Brigade) Situational ethics need not be applied, i.e. the rules don't change depending on who's involved or what's happening; the rules and traditions dictate how we understand our roles and decisions. Order and structure, policies, procedures, hierarchy reduce chaos and create a sense of well-being. You might see some of this in Christ's reassurance that He came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill the Law.
As you read the scriptures, where do you see God's motivation for different people?
We also know that we're motivated if we quickly see results in our actions. Exercising and eating right are maintained if we see some quick results. This is why quarterly, semiannual and annual bonuses are popular in business. Likewise, if we see some quick answers to prayers, we keep praying. If we tend towards being a little ADD or impulsiveness, we might not be able to sustain any long-term motivation. Thus, heavenly rewards may not be enough for some of us.
We also know we can maintain motivation if we have a social network--aka peer pressure and camaraderie in effort--structural support, and opportunities for personal development and gaining the necessary aptitude. Here the church excels in providing this. Is this enough to keep us going?
Change is hard. Most of us don't change without some motivation. And it's not a crisis that will do it in the long-term. More than half--some studies suggest up to 90%, even of "change leaders" like CEOs--of heart patients don't change their lifestyle after a crisis moment. What motivated you to decide to follow Christ? How motivated are you to do the things that maintain a relationship with Him? Remember the first article in the series shows a low-level of commitment among professing Christians. I think we revert back to old habits without intentional motivation to maintain participation in faith development and ministry activities that show commitment, enthusiasm (engagement). We may have faced a crisis that urged us to confess a faith in Christ but then we often go back to our normal lives. Same things happen after a retreat, camp, revival or other "mountain top" experience.
Soon, we'll get back to discussing typical workplace motivators and the better ones of choice, content, collaboration and progress appear in Christ's leadership of the His church and followers.
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