Manipulating Motivation

I receive a weekly sales motivational e-letter and found this week's to be particularly interesting. Being that sales is only a portion of my job, I try to transfer the bigger picture message from these e-letters to multiple areas of my life including business and personal. Check out the meat of this weeks message:

"In 1939, Napoleon Hill wrote many of his success principles in one immortal book, Think and Grow Rich. One of the principles is, “Do more than is expected of you.”
Amazing how old truths are still so valid.

Before Hill, around the turn of the last century (1900), Elbert Hubbard wrote an essay called “Message to Garcia.” It’s about a military officer named Rowan that was given an important message and told to deliver it to a guy named Garcia. Rowan -- without a moment of hesitation, without a “where” or “why” question -- started on the mission and ultimately delivered the message.

In his essay, Hubbard went on to chastise people for not delivering their message, and challenges each reader to take on the same blind “do it or perish” status."

Keep in mind this quote is used in the context of motivating sales reps. But it got me thinking about being directed on what messages I deliver. More than that, what's my direction on delivering God's message?

We understand called to deliver His message of eternal salvation and forgiveness in exchange for simply accepting His love. The hook for me was thinking, what if God had delivered His desire for us to spread His message with a "do it or perish" attitude? Quite a different spin on Christianity I'd say!

But God chose to provide us with free will and the ability to choose. For many, having the option is our downfall. For others, it's even more energizing to accept God's love and gift of eternal life.

Step back for a moment and think about your approach to free will. What would your life be like if your personal commitment to sharing the glory of God were more along the lines of Hubbard's encouragement? If every day you prioritized above all else, your desire to live like Jesus, spread His word when presented the opportunity and refused to succumb to compartmentalizing this responsibility behind or equal to your daily responsibilities.

Man oh man, I've got work to do... :)