Finding the Motivation to Keep Going

This past week has been a struggle. The quiet times that used to be so intimate and highly anticipated lost their luster. I argued with God when my alarm went off in the morning. Saying things like:

I'm tired, God I just need to wait till eight.

God it’s too cold can’t we just have quiet time here?

God I just want to relax today can we take a break and just chill?

In a lot of ways I equate my quiet time to doing my duty and that has to change. By doing that I put myself in the optimal position to get burnt out and before I knew it I had no desire to do the things that used to get me out of bed excited about my day. I know what I’m called to do but somewhere along the line I lost the motivation to keep doing it. So today I decided enough was enough. I knew my lack of motivation was spiritual so I went to the father to resolve my issues. I didn’t hold back. I didn’t shy away from certain topics I just laid my life bare at his feet and I asked him to give me back my desire for him. Not a desire based out of duty or obligation. I want to desire God like the psalmist does in chapter 42. As the deer pants for the water so my soul longs for you. I want to truly enjoy God and share that enjoyment with everyone around me.

One of the biggest roadblocks that will keep motivation at bay is hiding from God. When your prayers become cryptic and guarded your heart starts to harden. Your spiritual senses aren’t as receptive as they once were and before you know it you will find yourself feeling alone and abandoned. I implore you today to follow what Luke 10:27 says:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.” HCSB

Give him EVERYTHING. Tell him how you feel about the quality of your relationship. Be honest about your frustrations to stay motivated. Love God because you want to and be honest with him when you aren’t feeling it. Talk to Him even when you don’t want to. God is our only hope; he is the only way we can stay motivated to continue living this life. Don’t hold back.

  

Have you ever struggled to find motivation? Tell me your story in the comments.

The Myth Behind the Independent Woman

Western society is enamored with the idea of self reliance. Dependency is looked at as a weakness. A lot of women in western society have bought into the hype that being independent is the ultimate goal of life. I used to be one of those women. I would say things like:

“I have to take care of myself because nobody else will.”

“At the end of the day I’m the only one I can depend on.”

One of my past boyfriends actually made “Miss Independent” by Ne-Yo his ringtone for me (side note: I thank God I didn’t marry him.)

I believed the lie that with just enough hard work, just enough money, and just enough education, I could be independent from everyone. Independence is a lie for two reasons: first, the ultimate goal of life is to glorify God in all that we do (Col. 3:17) and second, there is no such thing as an independent person.

Financially responsible, yes.

Emotionally stable, sure.

Spiritually grounded, absolutely.

But we as humans do NOT have the ability to be independent. Everyone has to lean on someone or something at some point throughout their lifetime to function successfully.

The single career woman depends on her company to stay in business so she can pay her bills.

The married woman with kids depends on her husband to help raise them.

Even the woman with the financial clout of Oprah depends on her team of advisors to keep everything in order so she can continue to live comfortably.

Nobody is independent, but we fight tooth and nail to reach a state that God alone possesses. As women of God we must reevaluate our perspective of dependency. Weakness is not a liability when acknowledge God as your only source of strength. Webster defines dependence as the quality or state of being influenced, determined by, or subject to another. Think of the addict who has a dependence on painkillers. They can’t function without them. We have to get to a place spiritually where we can’t function without God. We need to be “addicted” to his presence. Our eyes have to look above the job, the husbands, and the money to realize that God is the source of it all. Even when we try to place material possessions or relationships as our source of fulfillment he is still responsible for every breath in our lungs and every beat of our hearts. We are all dependent on God whether we acknowledge him or not.

Today I implore you to put aside your pride and realize that all our efforts to be independent are futile because for all of humanity, there is no such thing. The good news is when you put your hope in God and depend on him alone, nothing is impossible.