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How to Get Unmotivated People Motivated

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How do we get busy, stressed out, disillusioned, or spiritually immature people to engage in true fellowship, attend training opportunities, get involved in ministry, etc.?

We must ask this question if we are going to fulfill the command in Hebrews 10:24 to “consider how we may SPUR ONE ANOTHER ON toward love and good deeds.” We can answer this question by looking at Jesus who knew how to connect with people in ways that caused them to leave all and follow Him.

1) We need to meet their needs.

Look at Jesus: He met basic physical needs, like feeding the multitudes and healing the sick as well as meeting their deepest spiritual needs. Jesus took a holistic approach.

Reflect: Like it or not, we are in a world where people ask themselves, “What’s in it for me?” In an ideal world, people would get involved simply because they love the Lord. While that motivation certainly should be encouraged and nurtured, we need to be realistic about where people are now. Meet their lower level needs and eventually the unmotivated will then become motivated in the higher areas.

Ask: What can we do to help free people up from what is holding them back?

2) We need to be willing to meet people where they are.

Look at Jesus: He would often use common, familiar objects to transition into spiritual truths, taking people from the known to the unknown.

Reflect: One of the spiritual growth principles in the Teacher’s Role in Discipling Students toward Spiritual Growth Resource is that “People tend to understand no more than one stage above where they are.” Trying to take people beyond where they are, usually leads to frustration or adds to their despair. Meet people where they are and as you build upon it, take them to the next level. Eventually, the unmotivated will then become motivated.

Ask: Where are people? What is their next step?

3) We need to tap into who people are rather than who we want or think we need them to be.

Look at Jesus: When calling fishermen to be His disciples He said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.

Reflect: God gave believers different spiritual gifts. We come from different background and have different personalities. We are at different places in our lives that bring unique needs, issues, and time availabilities. A one size fits all approach therefore doesn’t work well. What motivates one person might not spur on the next person. Offer what fits within their God-given design or season of life and eventually the unmotivated will then become motivated.

Ask: How can we better acknowledge, accept, and affirm individuals’ unique needs and contributions?

4) We need to lead by example.

Look at Jesus: His disciples saw Him praying regularly and fervently and they said “teach us to pray.”

Reflect: How can we expect others to be excited about serving the Lord if we aren’t? Zeal is caught more than it is taught. How can we expect others to engage in the spiritual disciplines leading to growth if they don’t see or hear of our walk with the Lord in these ways? How can we expect others to open up to one another if they don’t feel accepted by us? Model not just the proper actions but also the right attitudes to go along with what you do and the unmotivated will then become motivated.

Ask: What does my life teach? How do I need to improve in order to be able to say “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1)?

All of the above points will take us a little extra time and effort but isn’t that part of what it means to “CONSIDER HOW we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Heb. 10:24)?

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4 Replies to “How to Get Unmotivated People Motivated”

  1. My Pastor presented his sermon about the Importance of Prayer & Fellowship yesterday, which got me more motivated on this idea I’ve had for a week now. How would I begin & continue to get up to 48,000 people motivated to form a circle of prayer, 16 miles long, around a lake, which has many homes & businesses surrounding it? There’s about 61,000 people in the area.

    • Hello, Barry. First and foremost, it needs to be something God is behind. I would encourage you to spend MUCH time in prayer for His wisdom and direction. You probably need to rally a group of people around the idea who join you in praying about it and ultimately are willing to participate with you in planning and implementing it. If you can’t get a group of people to assist you in this, keep praying about whether this is of God. To do something the magnitude you described needs a core group as motivated as you are to effectively accomplish it. If you develop that core group, the specific ideas that fit your setting will come as you brainstorm ideas together. Each person on this team will in turn have a network of people with whom they can begin to grow this vision.

      Think about your own journey in being motivated toward it. You mentioned that you had the idea prior to the sermon. That is much how motivation toward something like the prayer circle works. It undoubtedly took varied and repeated impressions on your heart and mind with the pastor’s sermon just being the most recent. Likewise, you will need to give people time to come on board and communicate about it repeatedly and in varied ways to help motivate others toward it.

      You undoubtedly have a passion for this rooted in some kind of purpose. You will need to do a good job of helping people understand WHY this is worth their time and effort. As mentioned in this post, part of motivating people is need-oriented.

      I hope what I wrote gives you something to think about to get started. Once you get more people on board, the “how” will undoubtedly come together.

  2. Thank you very much for the excellent reply. Hours of prayer is the main thing & I already attend 4 churches & have many ideas in which to motivate people into making it happen. It appears so simple to me as long as I can get all my ideas across on paper & make it known thru next-door.com, you tube, radio, city hall etc. All most people have to do is, walk down their own street, to the main road around the lake, start a line of people & prayerfully, before the end of the day, the lines will begin to connect & others will wonder what’s going on & want to join in. I’d love to see revival in the Lord, in my city & be the start of revival across America. I believe God has opened a door for us, with this peculiar president we now have & we need to get out there & be praying God’s word audibly, be doers & not just hearers & talkers only. In 3 of the churches I go to the presence of the Holy Spirit is very moving & I’ve attended 16 weeks, so far of dicipleship studies since July 2016 & the visions & dreams intensify, drawing me closer to the Lord.

    • You are welcome. When God opens a door, it’s so important for us to follow Him through it. Yes, much prayer is the main thing as God can move in hearts, motivating people in ways we never could.

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