What's Your Motive?

I’m just gearing up for my summer bible study so I’m reading 1 Thessalonians. I already couldn’t get passed verse 3 before I had to stop, reflect, and pray. Good stuff! I love studying his word, equipping myself for life.

My summary of verse three:

I need faith to do your work, love to be my motive and hope in Christ Jesus that I may never give up!

Sometimes, when I’m wishing for something, you know, that something bigger and better, the Lord reminds me of my motive. It seems I pose that question a lot; what is my motive? Of course, I want it to be love. I want my motives to be sincere and selfless. This isn’t always the case. Greed creeps in or selfish ambition, among other things.

Peter told Simon the sorcerer, in Acts 8 “you have no part in this ministry because your heart is not right before God.” Simon saw the work of the Holy Spirit and thought he could buy this gift of God, this ability to do what Peter and John were doing. What was his motive? It certainly wasn’t out of love. He wanted it for his own power and prestige.

God doesn’t give us bigger and better things to enhance our own life, to grow our own wealth, to gain our own power. “Hey world, look at me. Look what I can do. Look what I’ve done.”

Personally, this has been a discipline for me, this whole motive thing. I have certain desires in my heart to which I know they are God’s desire too but quite possibly, it could be my motive, my heart that isn’t ready yet. I want to say to God, “Look, I’m ready. I’m pretty sure now is the time.”

 Did you know God can work best in us when we just surrender? Oh how hard that is sometimes. I know it sounds so easy. We may think we have surrendered and we think we are ready to take on that bigger task when God knows our heart, our true thoughts.

Hebrews 4:12, “the word of God….it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Simon was full of bitterness and captive to sin. Our motives do not have to be as strong as Simons but any motive, other than love, keeps us captive right where we are.

I feel sometimes what God has called me to do it seems hard to reach, maybe a little out of my grasp. I seek Him, asking Him to search my heart. Asking him to help me know what I haven’t surrendered and to keep my motives pure.

Psalms 139:23-24 “Search me O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

I don’t want to answer his call, or do anything for Him before my heart is right because I can do his work with greater faith and continued hope.