I write this now for the same reasons that I normally write things. I write to remember. I write to develop my thoughts further. And I write to ingrain good things from my thoughts into my heart and habits.

I sit here and imagine three different types of children.

The first loves to play. He sits on the floor rolling his fire truck back and forth, overdubbing the sound of sirens and crashes with his voice. His mother walks in the room and asks him to pick up his toys because it's time for them to go and pick up his sister from soccer practice. The little boy throws down his fire truck and wails, "I don't wanna go I wanna stay I don't wanna go!" This little boy prefers his own will to his mother's. He feels that what he wants is much better than what his mother wants. He is motivated by his own want and is disobedient.

The second child is in a similar scenario. As he is playing with his fire truck, his mother walks in and asks him to pick up his toys so they can go. But with this child, the mother threatens that she will spank him if he doesn't do it immediately. The boy picks up his toys with a temper and stomps to the door, doing the bare minimum that he must in order to get by without a spanking. This child obeys, but does it reluctantly and only minimally. His mother isn't pleased, but is appeased until the next threat must surface.

Finally, the third child finds himself with the same fire truck in hand. When his mother walks in to ask the same question that was asked to the other boys, he puts down his fire truck and begins to clean up the room. He trusts his mom because she has always proven trustworthy. Sometimes she even drives them to get a treat before picking up his sister. He cleans up the room as he found it and runs to meet his mom waiting for him by the door. She sees he has obeyed her and decides to go and take them to get some ice cream before driving to pick up his sister. The boy not only feels good to have some ice cream, but feels at peace having obeyed his mother when he was asked.

In all three of these stories I find a picture of motivation. What motivates each boy?

With the first, he values what he has before him right this second and is unwilling to let it go. He thinks he knows better than his mother and it leads to grumpiness and rage.

With the second, the little boy values similarly to the first, but follows through in obedience based out of fear. The result is more pouting and seeing his mother as the enemy.

With the third, the little boy was motivated out of trust and what was to come. It allowed for him to obey in love to his mom which then in turn left him free to be given a gift. (Not that he was motivated simply for the gift, though that is definitely possible.)

Which boys felt like a slave? The one who disobeyed, the one who obeyed out of frustration and fear, or the one who obeyed willingly?

Join me in asking myself, what is my motivation?

Motivation born out of delight reaches much further and is so much more pleasing than motivation born out of fear or obligation.