My Motive

I believe it would be dishonest to say that I don’t have a motive. My motive doesn’t have to be bad to be a motive. I’ve know people with good motives and good intentions and things still went sideways. I’m not always willing to reveal my motives, but the Lord already knows my motives. I’m learning to check my motive. I work in a service and sales profession and my motive can easily and quickly become money. I have to admit that I like food with my meals! I’m learning that if my motive is to help others get what they want then I will end up being rewarded with my wants and needs taken care of as well. Paul is speaking with accountability to the church at Thessalonica about his motive and his purpose. Check this out….

⁴ For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. ⁵ Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know. And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money! ⁶ As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or anyone else. (1 Thessalonians 2:4-6 NLT)

I should not be trying to impress others as much as I’m trying to impress the One Who knows the depth of my heart. He alone knows every motive with every move. He alone knows my deepest needs and desires.

Dave Ramsey speaks about how we live our lives trying to impress people that we don’t even know or like. I don’t think we should be continually trying to impress people we do know. If our motives become about impressing others, we will not honor the Lord with honesty and integrity.  I have to admit that I have people that I want to impress. I also want to be liked and respected by others. I also want to be loved deeply by others. I’m also learning that to be loved and respected that I must love and respect first. Jesus taught by example in this area. He didn’t just love and serve people who could love and serve Him. He loved the down and out. He loved the hurting and suffering people. He loved unconditionally. If only my heart could love people as He loved. That would clear up any motive that I have.

I need to check my motives many times throughout today. I want to be clear on my “why”.  I don’t want to be misunderstood or misjudged for living and loving like the Lord is calling me to. I want my motives to be clear and checked out before the Lord.

Pressing On!

Dwayne