What Drives You? (part 1 of 3)

To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. James 4:17 To know what drives you, ask yourself: What excites me? What do I seek and desire? What do I do exceedingly well? What gives me energy? The answers to these questions reveal a great deal about the way the Creator has shaped you. There are over 200 different types of drivers – things that motivate us, cause us to perform well, and fill us with energy as we do them. But at the simplest level, all these drivers fall into one of three categories. The 3 types of drivers are: Power, Image, & Contribution. Today we will explore the nature of people who are driven by power. These people wear easily the mantle of leadership. They can be controlling and manipulative in their exercise of power, but they need not be. Those driven by power include those who seek to empower others. In some cases they are the power behind the throne – people who do not seek the limelight or the title, but who do seek to influence the choice about what is done, when, how, and with whom. In a positive light, people driven by power desire change and see themselves as change agents. They are not satisfied with the status quo in their own lives, neither are they satisfied with the status quo around them. Then degree to which they love, influences heavily the use of power in their lives – they can be tyrants and dictators, or benevolent leaders who bring help and growth to others. Examples include all kinds of leaders, especially business and political leaders. To determine if you have power as the foremost driver in your life, ask yourself the following questions: Am I most comfortable if I am the one in charge or if I can see that things are being done my way? Do I desire to make things happen, create momentum, or see that changes I desire are effected? Do I readily accept leadership positions when asked to assume them? Do I seek out leadership roles (as evidenced perhaps by running for an office)? Am I concerned about how and when I might earn a promotion or rise in rank or status within groups to which I belong? Do I desire to have greater spiritual power over evil, sickness, or things that plague humankind? If you have answered yes to more than one of these questions, you are probably driven by power. It’s OK to be driven by power. Those driven by power can exert much influence for good. They can be stabilizing forces as well as growth forces in any endeavor. Conversely, they should avoid the tendency to think that those who are driven by power are more important than those who are driven by image or contribution. Many power-driven people have a tendency to put down those who are driven by image or to take for granted those who are driven by contribution. We will explore those drivers over the next few days. Are you driven by power, image, or contribution? What is the most important decision you can make right now related to the proper use of your foremost driver? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com