In Luke 15, a "prodigal" son asks his father for his portion of the inheritance only to move away and lose everything. Shamed, he returns to a father, who welcomes him back with open arms, and an envious elder brother, who is outraged because he never gets the recognition he feels he deserves.
What is most interesting, is that each of the three characters in this story is motivated by different factors. The younger son is motivated, at first by a need for autonomy. He wants to be on his own and be able to choose his own course. The younger son is also motivated by extrinsic factors, immediate gratification, and things he does not feel he can get at home. After he loses everything, he is motivated by a need for relatedness. He wants to come back to the one person he knows will still be there to take him back, even if he has to work for his acceptance.
The elder son, who remains at home and always follows the rules, is perhaps motivated by a need for competence. He is also extrinsically motivated by the avoidance of punishment. This brother feels deserving of praise because he has worked diligently and behaved according to the father's rules all along. Then he feels let down, when it is the undeserving son who gets the recognition. The elder son shows however, that he too, is willing to distant himself from the father, in order to get what he wants.
It is only the father then, who demonstrates unwavering love. He lives by unselfish motives, willing to accept both of his sons, after each has disrespected him. What is it that intrinsically motivates the father?
We all have interdependent needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. If one of those needs is thwarted, our intrinsic motivation is hindered. Conditions that support our psychological need for autonomy facilitate our intrinsic motivation by fostering a sense of volition and initiative. We have an innate need to feel competent when working towards meeting meaningful challenges. Our vitality depends on our relationships with others as well as our relationship with God. As in the case of each brother, when one of these needs are not met, our motives limit our ability to live by faith.
It is only the father then, who demonstrates unwavering love. He lives by unselfish motives, willing to accept both of his sons, after each has disrespected him. What is it that intrinsically motivates the father?
We all have interdependent needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. If one of those needs is thwarted, our intrinsic motivation is hindered. Conditions that support our psychological need for autonomy facilitate our intrinsic motivation by fostering a sense of volition and initiative. We have an innate need to feel competent when working towards meeting meaningful challenges. Our vitality depends on our relationships with others as well as our relationship with God. As in the case of each brother, when one of these needs are not met, our motives limit our ability to live by faith.
No comments:
Post a Comment