“Knowing what drives us is important because it gives us the fuel we need to power through when life isn’t easy.” - Pastor Shawn Lyons

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” - James 1:2-3

We don’t do anything without a reason. Even if our motivation is subconscious, it’s still impacting and driving us. Think about all the tasks you perform on a given day:

• Wake up

• Drink coffee 

• Eat breakfast

• Go to work

• Perform tasks related to your job

• Chat with coworkers

• Leave work and come home

• Eat dinner with your family

• Watch TV

• Go to bed

If you think for a moment, you can assign a reason to each of those tasks. You wake up because your alarm is going off and you know you need a certain amount of time in the morning to get ready for work. You go to work because you need an income to live on. You eat meals to alleviate the discomfort of hunger. You watch TV because you’re tired at the end of the day because you’re tired and you’re looking for an avenue to relax. 

This example highlights a few of the most basic reasons why we do what we do. Some of our activities are oriented around survival (eating, drinking, sleeping, etc). Others are meant to satisfy additional basic needs, such as comfort (drinking coffee, watching TV), security (going to work), and belonging (chatting with coworkers, connecting with our family). 

Here’s the question though: while we can understand how these baseline needs impact our regular daily actions, how do those particular needs manifest themselves over the course of our lifetime? Or, if we look back at the end of our lives and all we’ve done is maintain security, comfort, and belonging, how much have we actually accomplished? 

Nothing about comfort, security, and belonging is inherently wrong. These needs are hardwired in our brains and contribute to our basic survival and flourishing in life. However, a life well lived doesn’t stop at these things. 

This is where the question of the day (“what drives you?”) becomes incredibly important for us to consider. As followers of Jesus, our ultimate driving force should be a desire to bring God’s kingdom to Earth. This pursuit will impact our individual lives as well as the lives of others, and it should play a role in everything we say, do, and think. 

In addition, you can have other key purposes or initiatives in life as well. If you’re married, your relationship with your spouse will be a priority. The same is true of your children if you’re a parent. Perhaps you also care about impacting the world in a positive and significant way through a cause you’re involved with or a talent or skill you have. 

Knowing what drives us is important because it gives us the fuel we need to power through when life isn’t easy. We’re all going to face trials and obstacles, and in these moments, we must make a decision about how to act. If we have a clear sense of how our faith drives us, we’ll be able to tap into a greater source of motivation than if we were simply living in pursuit of comfort or security. By focusing on our higher-level overarching goals, we give ourselves the strength and the focus to push through even when it isn’t easy.