The starter button

# Chapter 236

To get things going and to get things moving in your life and in the lives of others, you gotta get things moving and going inside of you. This is the huge disconnect for many people. They (and we) want someone else, something else, something external to get things moving to get stuff happening around the world. And all the time the starter button is you. It’s me. Its us. There is no outside force that can sustain you over the long haul and there aren’t many external forces that can even get you started!

I have seen this happen 100’s and 100’s of times living overseas, and the newbies show up with plans and claims of living the remainder of their lives for this cause or that cause or for this people group or this marginalized segment. This cycle is so predictable that I can spot it a mile away. Those who are actually going to stick and get something important accomplished don’t even talk about it. They just do it, they just live it.

I have seen this happen 100’s and 100’s times in the church, and people say they support missions or vacation bible school or the worship team or whatever, and then when it is time for them to produce, they are Absent Without Leave. In fact it was so bad when I was a pastor that I always had a plan B and a plan C for when the failure to appear happened. These people, who are the people we are surrounded by, are waiting and depending on external motivation and energy to get things moving and going.

As a leader, I will gladly take one intrinsically motivated person on my team versus 100 extrinsically motivated people. We will win most every time, even when badly outnumbered.