Motives

My Opinion: Motives are everything.

In James 4:3 the Word says,

"When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."

I have learned over the past couple of years that motives make us do what we do. Many times I have not done something or said something because I knew that I didn't really mean it(thanks to the sweet voice of the Holy Spirit). The Holy Spirit and living Word has kindly rebuked me from doing GOOD many many times because the motives of my heart were just wrong and self-righteous or self-glorifying most likely. Even just saying something as simple as, "you mean so much to me" or "I'm praying for you"(this statement is way overused in my opinion). If I say it, I mean it. I made up my mind dog on it(I mean really, how many times must I be corrected before change occurs?), that I do not want to be a liar no matter how great it makes me look. I want my actions to reflect my words in order to please and glorify the Lord and not myself. Doing things for others should come out of an overflow of our love for the Lord and a promting from the Holy Spirit.


It has been rather frustrating actually. Anytime the Lord works to remove the sin/idols/dirt from my heart and thoughts, it is painful and frustrating. I'm pretty confident that every active believer of Christ will admit this. The bottom root in my personal case is Pride. Lord forgive me for thinking I am anything apart from you(John 15:5). "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Proverbs 3:34 I am extremely grateful for this, that our Savior loves us enough to stop us from doing something that would only bring praise to ourselves and not point others to Him. I fail on a daily basis because of pride. So when I/we ask for the Lord to remove the pride in our hearts, to show and remind us of the wretched sinners we are... and the Cross, His grace and mercy cover us. How thankful I am for the gospel of grace.


I don't like the wording of this blog very much...just sayin. :) Read the Bible, it is much better...it doesn't contain persuading human words.