Flipping the Switch: Discovering the Right Source for Motivation

"Flipping a switch" was my work-life mantra for many years. Whenever I took a break, I mentally disconnected from reality to relax on my parents' boat or sleep. But when it was time to go back to work, I just "flipped the switch" to regain my energy and motivation.

However, as time passed, I found it increasingly hard to switch off and then even more difficult to switch back on again. I was finished, utterly spent. I was on a six-week sabbatical back in 2019, and I had a vision that Jesus walked up to a fuse box as you would have in your home. When he opened it, all of my circuit breakers had blown. He began turning them all back on, and after shutting the door, he looked me straight in the eye and said: "This time, use the right source!"

As I've been pondering this idea of what the right source is, I realized that saying “Jesus is my source” sounds great, but what in the world does that actually mean? A source can be a place, person, or thing from which something originates or a process by which energy enters a system.

Over the years, I've heard a number of statements and personal experiences about things that until now, I would have never said that was “the source.”

Here are a couple of examples:

• I've created anxiety within myself and used that as a source to accomplish a task.

• “He has a chip on his shoulder.” When this is said of someone, they are often using a real or perceived injustice in their life as the driving force to accomplish a set of goals or prove someone wrong.

• "I feel at peace when I'm near the ocean." But is the ocean really your source of peace?

I have begun to recognize how many times I've done things I wouldn't normally do because my motivation or source was wrong. Here's a list of things that I believe can be a source:

• Anxiety

• Fear

• Alcohol

• Coffee

• Caffeine

• Drugs

• Pornography

• A glance

• Abuse

• Abuser - feeling powerful

• A father's approval

• Love

• Compassion

• Patience

• Kindness

• Position

• Spouse

• Outside voices: criticism and praise

• Salary

• Bank account

• Rejection

• Acceptance

• Beauty

As I was looking at the list, it hit me: My source has to be LOVE. That is what Jesus meant when he said, "This time, use the right source." Without love, the things that I try to use as my source are the things that usually end up being detrimental to me and those around me. I encourage you to take a moment. Ask yourself: "What things outside of love am I using as my source or motivation?" You will be surprised at the thoughts that will come into your mind, and once you've identified places where love isn't your source, you can address it.