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verses here in the first two chapters of Genesis. In He quotes Levi�cus 19:18 as recorded in Ma�hew
Genesis 2:7 we see that God is not distant but clo- 22, Mark 12 and Luke 10.
sely connected to us (PERSONAL). In this passage Secular mo�va�onal theories see this clearly and
we see that God personally formed us and brea- focus here well. Relatedness within a social envi-
thed life into us from Himself. ronment is a key intrinsic mo�va�onal drive valida-
Ecclesiastes 3:11 states that God set eternity in the ted by Scripture and mo�va�onal research. As the-
hearts of men, expanding on this desire for His Pre- se theories also include the social environment,
sence. Augus�ne, in his Confessions (1963), stated these align well.
that “You have created us for yourself, O God, and In the passage first quoted above (Genesis 1:26),
our hearts are restless un�l they rest in you.” Psalm we also see purpose in our crea�on (PURPOSE). We
42:1 it deepens this, “As deer pants for flowing were created with purpose (to have dominion) and
streams, so pants my soul for you, O God” (English seeking a�er purpose, acts as a mo�va�ng need.
Standard Bible, 2001/2016). This purpose is further expanded in verse 28 when
This drive is founda�onal in the Biblical context as God tells Adam and Eve to mul�ply and fill the
shown in Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the Lord earth. Humanity is uniquely drawn to causes that
your God with all your heart and with all your soul are bigger than ourselves. This aspect of purpose is
and with all your might” (English Standard Bi- closely intertwined with relatedness. We are called
ble, 2001/2016). This is then repeated by Jesus as to be par�cipants (to PAR�CIPATE) in the overall
the greatest command of life recorded in Ma�hew plan of God’s crea�on. It is not sufficient for us to
22:37, Mark 12:30 and Luke 10:27. simply exist; we need to see ourselves as crucial
Here we can see a parallel to the concept of rela- cogs in a greater plan. We feel this is the founda�o-
tedness in mo�va�onal theories. This relatedness nal-designed need of purpose. Interes�ngly, Ephe-
runs at a deeper level than that considered in the sians, Chapter 1 addresses this need by direc�ng
secular study of mo�va�on as this addresses the our a�en�on to God’s purpose in choosing us even
drive for relatedness with the divine. While others before establishing the founda�ons of the world.
have recognized that interac�on with the divine (la- How large a plan we are part of!
beled as religion) is an intrinsic mo�vator of human As noted above, competence is also the ability to
behavior, they do not a�empt to found it on Biblical accomplish a task. We see competence in God’s de-
“
principles but approach it as a philosophical con- sign in Genesis 2:19, Now out of the ground the
cept (Ryan, et al. 1993; Gorsuch, 1994; Wong-Mc- Lord God had formed every beast of the field and
Donald & Gorsuch, 2004; Gorsuch et al. 2009). This every bird of the heavens and brought them to the
can serve to validate the existence of this drive ba- man to see what he would call them. And whatever
sed on observa�ons of human behavior, but fail to the man called every living creature, that was its
iden�fy the locus of the mo�va�on. name” (English Standard Bible, 2001/2016). When
We see relatedness in another aspect when we given the task of naming the animals, what Adam
look at the second chapter of Genesis. In verse 18 called them became their name. The task was done
God states that it is “not good” for man to be alone competently and without revision by God.
(even in the presence of God and the mul�tude of Competence is also seen in Genesis 2:15 where the
created beings) and then God acts to create woman tasks of working and keeping the Garden of Eden
(PRESENCE of other). We are not only created to are given to Adam (PRODUC�VITY). The task invol-
need the presence of the divine, but we are created ves both purpose and competence as the ability to
to need each other. In verse 24 we see that there is accomplish the task is assumed.
both passion and purity involved in this drive (PAS- This need fits into the mo�va�onal theory area of
SION & PURITY). We see these drives clearly competence. Competence involves not just the
echoed and developed in the en�re book of Song of ability to accomplish a task but also addresses the
Solomon. We believe that these are the founda�o- value of the task.
nal drives that lie beneath the social concerns ad- Finally, we see autonomy in the crea�on story.
dressed by the prophets of the Old Testament and Adam was placed in the Garden and given permis-
reinforced by Jesus’ teachings on love in the New sion to access all that existed within the Garden
Testament. Jesus cites this drive for relatedness to (PREROGA�VE), with the excep�on of the tree of
others as the second greatest commandment when knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:16). This free-
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