Page 23 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 23

Children in their teens start to become independent of parents and to look
for affirma�on from their peers. Is that the point when a securely a�ached
young person, who has been taught about loving God, is supposed to find
his/her intrinsic mo�va�on toward God? Does she/he grow up from de-
pendence on parents and turn to and follow God, the Father, the Master, in
her/his life decisions? To look up to the Painter who made her/himself?
Making life decisions in a way pleasing to our heavenly Father? As a result
of this process, the person would grow up to iden�ty with professional
competence etc.

Erikson’s theory of a lifespan and eight developmental stages resonates
with the development of mo�va�on as well. A young person is mo�vated
to find iden�ty and is more self-centred, but if that stage and the develop-
mental task are resolved well, the person is, as an adult, able to sacrifice
her/his life for her/his children.

How society as a whole can support the development of eudaimonia.
Our socie�es seem to need more and more people who are intrinsically
mo�vated, whose values tend more toward eudaimonia. If Chris�ans start
to become a minority in culture, this will demand greater inner strength
and the organising of the whole mo�va�on system to enable one to live
contrary to the values offered by the surroundings, being mo�vated to find,
for example, addi�onal informa�on to support biblical values - and finding
happiness in that.

Two Finnish researchers have wri�en about happiness and well-being. Har-
ri Koskela wrote in his doctoral thesis about how Chris�an faith increases
well-being na�onwide. Koskela and Markku Ojanen (emeritus), PhD in psy-
chology, have connected this happiness and well-being to Chris�an values.
If Chris�an values could mo�vate people (inside), it would lead decision-
making throughout society.

These and many other thoughts came to my mind while reading the Mur-
phys’ ar�cle.
Thank you so much for your work!

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