I observed that the basic
motive for success is the driving force of envy and jealousy! Ecclesiastes 4:4
(LB)
"The man without a purpose
is like a ship without a rudder-a waif, a nothing, a no man" ~ Thomas
Carlyle
EVERYONE'S LIFE IS DRIVEN BY
SOMETHING.
Most dictionaries define the
verb drive as "to guide, to control, or to direct." Whether you are
driving a car, a nail, or a golf ball, you are guiding, controlling, and
directing it at that moment. What is the driving force in your life?
Right now you may be driven by
a problem, a pressure, or a deadline. You may be driven by a painful memory, a
haunting fear, or an unconscious belief. There are hundreds of circumstances,
values, and emotions that can drive your life. Here are five of the most common
ones:
Many people are driven by
guilt. They spend their entire lives running from regrets and hiding their
shame. Guilt-driven people are manipulated by memories. They allow their past
to control their future. They often unconsciously punish themselves by sabotaging
their own success. When Cain sinned, his guilt disconnected him from God's
presence, and God said, "You will be a restless wanderer on the earth”
That describes most people today-wandering through life without a purpose.
We are products of our past,
but we don't have to be prisoners of it. God's purpose is not limited by your
past. He turned a murderer named Moses into a leader and a coward named Gideon
into a courageous hero, and he can do amazing things with the rest of your
life, too. God specializes in giving people a fresh start. The Bible says,
"What happiness for those whose guilt has been forgiven! ... What relief
for those who have confessed their sins and God has cleared their record."
Many people are driven by
resentment and anger. They hold on to hurts and never get over them. Instead of
releasing their pain through forgiveness, they rehearse it over and over in
their minds. Some resentment-driven people "clam up" and internalize
their anger, while others "blow up" and explode it onto others. Both
responses are unhealthy and unhelpful.
Resentment always hurts you
more than it does the person you resent. While your offender has probably
forgotten the offense and gone on with life, you continue to stew in your pain,
perpetuating the past.
Listen: Those who have hurt you
in the past cannot continue to hurt you now unless you hold on to the pain
through resentment. Your past is past! Nothing will change it. You are only
hurting yourself with your bitterness. For your own sake, learn from it, and
then let it go. The Bible says, "To worry yourself to death with
resentment would be a foolish, senseless thing to do."
Many people are driven by fear.
Their fears may be a result of a traumatic experience, unrealistic
expectations, growing up in a high-control home, or even genetic
predisposition. Regardless of the cause, fear-driven people often miss great
opportunities because they're afraid to venture out. Instead they play it safe,
avoiding risks and trying to maintain the status quo.
