Saturday, August 27, 2016

Motivations

Motivations. Something that those around cannot see. In fact most of us find it quit easy to drift through life half-heartedly while those around us see us as a hero because it is easy for us to "fake" sincerity.

We may greet someone with a big smile and say "hello" while thinking to our self that we hope they don't want to stop and talk because we are not in the mood.

Although it can be harder to fool close family (husband, children, mom, dad), when it comes to our motivates, but it is not impossible. I know there are when I half-heartedly give of my time and or energy to help my husband but, to be honest, I was just not "feeling it".

Sound familiar?

Motivations. 

There is only One who truly knows our motivations and that cannot be fooled by a smile, a cheery hello, or flimsy offer of help.

God sees the heart, the place where motivations stem. He tells us that " For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21) and "The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45). 

God often makes reference to the heart when it comes to the motivations of men. In Matthew 15:8 we hear Jesus repeat what Isiah said, "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;" 

Verse 9 goes on to say that "in vain do they worship me..." How could He know this if He could not see their hearts. I don't know about you but their have been times when I've gone to church and "worshiped in vain" because my heart was not in it. Sadly, God knew it.

Another proof of God knowing our heart/motivations is evident in I Samuel 16:7 when God tells Samuel "..For the Lord does not see man as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."

God looks at my heart. That is a very discomforting thought. My heart is far from being perfect. My motives can be self seeking, self promoting and down right selfish. How can He be happy with that?

Thankfully, He isn't surprised by any negative thing that may heart can produce. I cannot make Him sad or surprise Him. He is not motivated or influenced by my emotions, sin, or motives. He has provided me with His Word so I know what He wants. He has provided me with the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide. I have all I need for my heart/motives to function as He intended.

So if God know our heart and He sees when our motivations for doing sometime are wrong, even sinful, what do we do? 

Seek Him through prayer and through reading His Word. Ask Him to help us when we know that our motives stink. Ask Him to make us aware of when our hearts are not where they need to be. 

I look to the example of King David when I think about this notion of "motivation". 

David was not prefect either. He made some major mistakes, committed sins that caused him a lot, yet God says that he (David) was a man after His own heart. Why? 

David loved and trusted God; to forgive him, to guide him, to change his heart. That is were we need to be, in the mindset of loving and trusting God enough to know that He will help us be all He wants us to be, and to change our hearts so out motivations will honor Him.

  




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