--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Law of Motivation says this: Freedom…" description: "\"“The Law of Motivation says this: Freedom first, service second. If you serve to get free of your fear, you are doomed to failure. Let God work on the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/640/henry-cloud-1322_failure_the-law-of-motivation-says-this-freedom_2802534.png" --- # The Law of Motivation says this: Freedom first, service… ![“The Law of Motivation says this: Freedom first, service second. If you serve to get free of your fear, you are doomed to failure. Let God work on the fears, resolve them, and create some healthy boundaries to guard the freedom you were called to.” quote by Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/640/henry-cloud-1322_failure_the-law-of-motivation-says-this-freedom_2802534.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/640/henry-cloud-1322_failure_the-law-of-motivation-says-this-freedom_2802534.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/640/henry-cloud-1322_failure_the-law-of-motivation-says-this-freedom_2802534.png) > ““The Law of Motivation says this: Freedom first, service second. If you serve to get free of your fear, you are doomed to failure. Let God work on the fears, resolve them, and create some healthy boundaries to guard the freedom you were called to.”” [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True freedom comes from serving others, not from using service to escape fear; faith helps confront fear and set healthy limits. **In simple terms:** Freedom is earned by serving, not avoiding fear. Key Takeaway Serve with confidence, not fear. Themes faith service personal growth Mood reflective motivational Type spiritual self‑help When to use this quote - leadership coaching - personal development - faith practice Key Concepts spiritual discipline boundary setting Questions to Reflect On - What fears limit your service? - How can faith guide your boundaries? A Different Perspective Ignoring fear can still lead to failure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Healthy boundaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healthy-boundaries/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) ## Related quotes > [To me, in this league, if your only motivation is what everyone else says, you're probably not going to be here that long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-flores/to-me-in-this-league-if-your-only-motivation-is-what-everyone-else/) [Brian Flores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-flores/) > [There is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-no-true-freedom-except-in-the-service-of-what-is-good-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Every human being is an artist, a freedom being, called to participate in transforming and reshaping the conditions, thinking and structures that shape and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-beuys/every-human-being-is-an-artist-a-freedom-being-called-to-participate/) [Joseph Beuys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-beuys/) > [In raising a people from slavery to freedom, you have called them to act on a new theatre; and it is a necessary part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-barlow/in-raising-a-people-from-slavery-to-freedom-you-have-called-them-to/) [Joel Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-barlow/) > [By choosing recovery and risking to be real, we set the healthy boundaries that say, "I am in charge of my recovery and my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-l-whitfield/by-choosing-recovery-and-risking-to-be-real-we-set-the-healthy/) [Charles L. Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-l-whitfield/) > [“And after we have shown each other how we have set and kept the clear, healthy boundaries that help us live side by side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oriah-mountain-dreamer/and-after-we-have-shown-each-other-how-we-have-set-and-kept-the-clear/) [Oriah Mountain Dreamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oriah-mountain-dreamer/) > [“If someone thinks you’re being dramatic or selfish, then they obviously haven’t walked a mile in your shoes. It’s not important for you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-newman/if-someone-thinks-you-re-being-dramatic-or-selfish-then-they/) Sarah Newman > [“You forgive that person and then you release them. Taking a stand and setting healthy boundaries is often the most loving thing you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-l-hay/you-forgive-that-person-and-then-you-release-them-taking-a-stand-and/) [Louise L. Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-l-hay/) > [“Families living in dysfunction seldom have healthy boundaries. Dysfunctional families have trouble knowing where they stop and others begin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/families-living-in-dysfunction-seldom-have-healthy-boundaries/) [David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/) > [You best teach others about healthy boundaries by enforcing yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/you-best-teach-others-about-healthy-boundaries-by-enforcing-yours/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) > [“Do you consider yourself valuable? Do you value yourself less than or more than other people? Describe your self-esteem and how you exhibit self-love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennie-mccarty/do-you-consider-yourself-valuable-do-you-value-yourself-less-than-or/) Tennie McCarty > [“Specific parts of you personality may be angry and are usually easily evoked. because these parts are dissociated, anger remains an emotion that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzette-boon/specific-parts-of-you-personality-may-be-angry-and-are-usually-easily/) [Suzette Boon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzette-boon/) > [I'd like to see mothers at home be more assertive, be unapologetic, give themselves permission, and to stand up for themselves as an equal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-frost/i-d-like-to-see-mothers-at-home-be-more-assertive-be-unapologetic/) [Jo Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-frost/) > [“If you are a parent trying to determine if psychiatric medications are appropriate for your child, remember one thing: Most of these drugs have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-olsen/if-you-are-a-parent-trying-to-determine-if-psychiatric-medications/) Gwen Olsen > [“Some things just take time to process, and one must have healthy boundaries of time and space in place in order to do so.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-hart/some-things-just-take-time-to-process-and-one-must-have-healthy/) [Hannah Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-hart/) ## More by Henry Cloud > [The amount of truth a relationship can handle is proportional to the amount of perceived love that's present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/the-amount-of-truth-a-relationship-can-handle-is-proportional-to-the/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [“Are we paying attention to what is important, inhibiting the things that will not help or will hurt us, and keeping current?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/are-we-paying-attention-to-what-is-important-inhibiting-the-things/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [“Neglecting them leads to spiritual and emotional problems; having them met, however, frees us to meet the needs of others cheerfully and without resentment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/neglecting-them-leads-to-spiritual-and-emotional-problems-having-them/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [“we need people to whom we can talk and who will understand without invalidating our feelings by saying the following: You shouldn’t feel that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/we-need-people-to-whom-we-can-talk-and-who-will-understand-without/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [Leadership is not taken, it is given. People give leadership to those that they trust. They allow people that they trust to have influence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/leadership-is-not-taken-it-is-given-people-give-leadership-to-those/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [“What appear to be dangerous and even bad periods in some lives can actually bring them closer to the Lord, because these individuals honestly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/what-appear-to-be-dangerous-and-even-bad-periods-in-some-lives-can/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [“We are drawn to Jesus because “he learned obedience from what he suffered” (Heb. 5:8). People who are growing up are also drawn to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/we-are-drawn-to-jesus-because-he-learned-obedience-from-what-he/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [If you want to become healthy, you have to surround yourself with a group of people that are getting healthy, and you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/if-you-want-to-become-healthy-you-have-to-surround-yourself-with-a/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [Dont use all-or-nothing thinking. Take each day as its own day, and dont worry about it if you mess up one day. The most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/dont-use-all-or-nothing-thinking-take-each-day-as-its-own-day-and/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [Faith goes beyond reason. It goes beyond what you can see. But it is as real as anything you can touch or feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/faith-goes-beyond-reason-it-goes-beyond-what-you-can-see-but-it-is-as/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [Boundaries are basically about providing structure, and structure is essential in building anything that thrives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/boundaries-are-basically-about-providing-structure-and-structure-is/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [“Forgiveness and opening up to more abuse are not the same thing. Forgiveness has to do with the past. Reconciliation and boundaries have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/forgiveness-and-opening-up-to-more-abuse-are-not-the-same-thing/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [“The old saying, “Don’t get mad. Just get even” isn’t accurate. It’s far better to say, “Don’t get mad. Set a limit!” Myth”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/the-old-saying-don-t-get-mad-just-get-even-isn-t-accurate-it-s-far/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [“When we fail to express our needs, we remain islands unto ourselves—detached, alone, arrogant, and proud. But when we expose our needs, we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/when-we-fail-to-express-our-needs-we-remain-islands-unto-ourselves/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [“Receiving forgiveness when we know we’ve truly blown it is a humbling and growth-producing experience. It’s the only thing better than forgiving someone else.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/receiving-forgiveness-when-we-know-we-ve-truly-blown-it-is-a-humbling/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) [Explore all 251 Henry Cloud quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The Law of Motivation says this: Freedom first, service second. If you serve to get free of your fear, you are doomed to failure. Let God work on the fears, resolve them, and create some healthy boundaries to guard the freedom you were called to.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Cloud" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/the-law-of-motivation-says-this-freedom-first-service-second-if-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/the-law-of-motivation-says-this-freedom-first-service-second-if-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/640/henry-cloud-1322_failure_the-law-of-motivation-says-this-freedom_2802534.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/640/henry-cloud-1322_failure_the-law-of-motivation-says-this-freedom_2802534.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/640/henry-cloud-1322_failure_the-law-of-motivation-says-this-freedom_2802534.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The Law of Motivation says this: Freedom first, service second. If you serve to get free of your fear, you…” — Henry Cloud", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Henry Cloud", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The Law of Motivation says this:...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/the-law-of-motivation-says-this-freedom-first-service-second-if-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/the-law-of-motivation-says-this-freedom-first-service-second-if-you/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```