Motivating others

In “The One Year Book of Amazing Stories,” Robert Petterson tells the story of Jack, a boy struggling with the disability of stuttering whose father worked such long hours that Grace, his mother, had to be both mom and dad. Jack readily acknowledged that his mother had helped him become the man he became.

As a young child, he appeared to have limited potential. However, his mother refused to quit believing in him despite the stuttering that threatened his future. Jack questioned whether he could succeed in life. Despite his disability, Grace refused to give up on the boy and she told Jack his stuttering “was a sure sign of his superior intellect.” Even as an adult he never forgot her words, “No one’s tongue could keep up with a brain like yours.”

This did not mean Grace never challenged Jack. In high school, he became obsessed with winning. Once, when his hockey team lost a game in overtime, he became so frustrated he threw his stick across the rink before storming off the ice. His mother barged into the locker room, angrily grabbed Jack, and shouted, “…if you don’t know how to lose, you’ll never know how to win!” The boy was mortified, but he never forgot the valuable lesson.

Jack Welch eventually became the chief executive officer of General Electric and helped reenergize this well-known company. He mentored some of the world’s most outstanding CEOs and wrote international bestsellers on management. Fortune magazine named him Manager of the Century in 1999, and the Financial Times called him one of the three most respected leaders in the world.

Jack would undoubtedly agree that children need to be encouraged and challenged to reach their potential. His mother, Grace, was an essential part of that process in his life. The Bible teaches the same principle when it says, “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.” (Hebrews 10:24, NLT)

This is certainly true for our children and grandchildren, but every believer should commit to helping others live up to their God-given potential. We need to be alert for opportunities to build others up, encourage them to love well, and do what is right. We always remember those who enrich our lives.

Few of us will train the world’s movers and shakers, but each of us should do our part to motivate others. When we do, it makes a positive difference in their lives and pleases our God, who challenges us to live with this big-picture perspective.