Human Motivation vs Godly Inspiration

Have you ever found yourself getting all “motivated” to make a change, but it doesn’t stick?

You WANT to change, but it just doesn’t seem to work?

Let me explain why that is…

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Motivation does not work long-term.

Being inspired to change WILL.

Motivation comes from outside of you.

Godly inspiration comes from inside of you.

Motivation pushes you, seemingly against your will.

Godly inspiration pulls you; it draws you and compels you to move towards it.

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Let me give you an example.

I had a client tell me she wanted to stay motivated to work on her business. After we coached for a bit, we found her true “motivation.” The truth was, she only wanted to work on her business so her boyfriend would quit hounding her about it. She was motivated to avoid that consequence. She wasn’t inspired by how she could change lives with her business. If she was inspired, she’d have no problem carving out a bit of time to work on her business because she'd be focusing on the lives she would change.

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Let’s use a different example that most of us can relate to. I hear from a lot of people the phrase “I need to lose weight“ or “I need to work out.”

You might be able to get yourself to the gym or go for a walk for a couple weeks, maybe even a month. But it won’t keep you going long-term.

Godly inspiration looks like this “I want to honor God with how I take care of my body so I’m going to eat well and move regularly.“

Don’t get me wrong. Motivation can get us started, but it won’t get difficult tasks finished.

Motivation is more likely to produce burnout.

Inspiration is more likely to produce the consistent discipline needed to accomplish the vision.

Motivation might feel rushed or hurried. “I have to” energy to avoid a consequence.

Inspiration is a positive anticipation: “I choose to do this. I get to do this!” energy.

In biblical terms, this is what it means to set joy before you.

Because let’s face it, change is painful sometimes! Setting joy before us is how we keep going, just like Jesus did.

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​Hebrews 12:2

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The thought of our freedom brought Jesus so much joy that He was willing to die the most painful death anyone could ever experience.

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Years ago, when my body had deteriorated so much from chronic illness that my boys were carrying my purse for me, I had a horrendous thought: if I had a grandbaby right now, I would not be strong enough to safely hold them.

That thought wrecked me. I was nowhere near being a grandma; my kids were in high school, but the thought of that becoming a reality changed me forever. That was in 2017. You could say I was strongly “motivated” to change.

But if I had stayed in that thought pattern, I’m not sure I would’ve gotten to where I am today.

What I did instead was create a godly, inspiring vision for myself. I still don’t have any grandbabies, but whenever life gets hard, whenever I’m in more pain than usual, I think about them.

I think about being strong enough to carry them, to laugh with them, to play with them.

I think about jumping on the trampoline with them. I think about giving them piggyback rides. I think about making cookies with them. I think about walking all over Disney World with them. And then I have more than enough energy to keep going.

Nobody has to tell me to work out in the morning because the vision I’ve created with me and my grandbabies does it for me.

I kid you not. When I feel like I can’t do one more rep or minute of working out, I think about my future grandbabies, and I can usually get five more minutes in.

My vision for this is so strong that it brings tears to my eyes just typing this out for you. I LOVE my grandbabies and none of them have been conceived yet!

Living this way has created so much focused purpose. I am doing things I never even set out to do. Things that I didn’t even think were possible for me to do.

I thank God continuously for every little bit of strength He's allowed me to gain.

I’m not moving away from pain but toward a beautiful future!

Never limit what is possible if you are a child of God.

What do you need to create a strong, godly vision for? What is God calling you to do that you haven’t done because you’re “trying” to be motivated instead of inspired by the future God has for you?

In passionate purpose,

Dorothy