Page 13 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 23

Michael and Valerie Murphy have been serving together in ministry since 1993.
They have combined efforts in many areas, including Stephen Ministry leader-
ship and facilita�on, joy-based addic�on/codependency recovery groups lea-
dership, One Accord Marriage Retreats, Bible studies, and speaking engage-
ments on Genesis-based care ministry models for both professional and lay
caregivers. This includes mul�-year presenta�ons for the Society for Chris�an
Psychology (SCP) Conferences and mentoring at European Leadership Forum
(ELF) Conferences. Their hearts’ passion is to assist in building a Biblical foun-
da�on for Chris�an care and growth through deepened Biblical understanding
and spiritual forma�on.
Michael Murphy EdD is currently a contracted adjunct faculty for Psychology
with Liberty University. Michael served as founder and Execu�ve Director of
Crossroads Community Counseling Center and the Pastor of Care and Professi-
onal Counseling at Crossroads Community Church in Naperville, IL from
2000-2014. He also co-founded Community Care Center, a nonprofit counse-
ling center with his wife, Valerie in 2015. Together, they served as missionaries
to Russia from 1993-1996.

Michael and Valerie Murphy (USA):

A Biblical View of Mo�va�on

Mo�va�on theories seek to explain why we beha- logical arena with his hierarchy of needs (Etzioni,
ve the way we do and what energizes us to take ac- 2017). Today, theories of needs/sa�sfac�on-based
�on in the various ac�vi�es of life. Most research mo�va�on include Intrinsic and Extrinsic Mo�va�-
looks at mo�va�on without considera�on of a po- on Theory, Mo�va�on Disposi�on Theory (MDT),
ten�al Creator-designed categorical basis. This pa- Two-process Model of Psychological Needs,
per reviews the development of certain needs-ba- Maslow’s Updated Hierarchy of Needs, Self Deter-
sed mo�va�on theories, the movement of mo�va- mina�on Theory (SDT) and many more (Deci &
�on theory from a hedonic to a more eudaimonic Ryan, 1985; McClelland, 1987; Sheldon, 2011; Le-
approach directed toward human flourishing, and francois, 2013; Ryan & Deci, 2008; Ryan & Deci,
it highlights key elements that may point to core 2020). It is not the intent of this paper to fully re-
needs that are designed into humanity at crea�on. view or cri�que these theories, but to present an
It then explores the story of crea�on in Genesis understanding of the needs/sa�sfac�on-based
and a�empts to iden�fy parallels to those core mo�ves drawn and then to consider core mo�va�-
needs. It is the intent of this paper to establish a on from a Biblical perspec�ve of crea�on.
commonality with secular mo�va�on research We will first review the highlights of key secular
from a solid Biblical worldview. mo�va�onal theories looking for common themes
and core concepts, then seek to understand the re-
A Biblical View of Mo�va�on search that has been done using solid observa�o-
The search for the founda�on of mo�va�on (why nal research and analysis. We then will a�empt to
we do what we do) has been ongoing. As Paul Tripp place these concepts into a Biblical understanding
(2014) comments, we all have a deep desire to of mo�va�ons as presented in the crea�on ac-
know and understand, gi�ed with mysterious ana- count. It is our hope that this will allow Chris�an
ly�c gi�s. Prior to the 1950s it was thought that prac��oners and researchers to be�er place their
mo�va�on was a func�on of some type of non- own work in the context of a Biblical design of hu-
nervous system �ssue needs (Deci & Ryan, 1985). mankind and how it impacts what we do and how
Maslow sought to move this idea into the psycho- we behave.

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