Good Motive

Good Motive

Good Morning Friends,

Every good action needs to be prompted. Sure God can use evil for good but for us the thing is love. And if you feel this, you have a reason for existence and a guide for action that requires intellectual honesty. And honestly friends these desires of the heart are for the most part not so simple. But then there is kindness and it is my hope that it, in its simple form, prompted by God, can become its own Good Motive.

Scripture: Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.

Proverbs 21:2 (ESV)

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

Matthew 6:1-18 (ESV)

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Galatians 1:10 (ESV)

But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.

1 Thessalonians 2:4 (ESV)

Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.”

Mark 10:51 (NRSV)

And why not say (as some people slander us by saying that we say), ‘Let us do evil so that good may come’? Their condemnation is deserved!

Romans 3:8 (NRSV)

Message: Today’s scripture and devotional takes us on a journey of how God’s compassion for the corporate is extended to the individual. We begin to see how the love of God, the motive behind it all, goes beyond sympathy and empathy to action. But there is a double effect here. And that is the ethical challenge. Sometimes there are consequences that are not so pleasant. The cross for one. The crosses we must carry as well. That is why it is so important to approach the challenge having a heart full of grace around the byproducts of our actions. And here hopefully we experience an action that tells the truth in love. Here we hope that Jesus sees our faith. Here we hope we have a faith that leads us to put forth effort. Here we hope that Jesus sees our determination and concern about pleasing only God.  You see, God knows the motives in all our actions. Some say the key is being honest about our motives, and that is certainly a start, but I truly do not know that we even understand the confluence of motives that typically fill our emotions. You see, this emotion, desire, this felt need, or impulse that we call motive impels a person to action, but the source of the desire is not always clear. That is why understanding motives are so crucial to everything a Christian does. Motives, you see, have repercussions and unintended consequences. Motives need to be ethical and so too our intentions. Thankfully the Lord weighs our motives. Friends, ultimately God will bring to light the hidden things and reveal the motives of our hearts and based on this we will each receive the recognition we deserve. So make sure your motives are pure not in pleasing people but in pleasing God. Anything less just will not cut it. You cannot do this without God.

Pray somehow through the Holy Spirit, God exposes our motives, uncovers our faults so that our sins might be rebuked and our desires come in accordance to God’s will. Pray God is pleased to grant our requests. Pray we are not selfish. Pray we evaluate our prayers for the motives that prompt them and the unintended negative consequences of them being answered. Pray the good effects of our prayers outweigh the bad. Pray we exercise due diligence to minimize the harm. Pray our requests are worthy of the God we approach. Pray we not lack faith. Pray we ask for and receive far more than we anticipate. Pray that we have enough faith …enough love to glorify God in our actions. Pray that we all be healed even though not all of us will be cured. Pray that we have a pure heart…a forgiving spirit, unwavering faith and the right motives. Pray we stop being double-minded and self-centered. Pray we become Christ-centered. Pray our motive is always one of love. Pray we stop trying to make a good impression with false motives. Pray we stop asking God for what we have no right to ask because we still are trying to hide our disobedience. Pray
we have pure motives. Pray we not choose with our eyes but with a kind heart.

Blessings,

John Lawson