motive

1 Thessalonians 2:4b Our purpose is to please God, not people. He is the One who examines the motives of our hearts.


Sometimes I wonder if God puts less emphasis, less importance on WHAT we are & do, & is supremely more interested in WHY we are who we are & do hat we do.

I just did a word search at Biblegateway.com to see how many times "motive" pops up in the New Living Translation. It appears 17 times- about half in the Old Testament, half in the New Testament.

They all refer directly or obliquely to an examination of motive.

In the past decade or so, God seems to keep poking me in the eye about this motive thing. It seems there is no merit accruded from the simple being or doing unless we are & do something for the right reasons.

But the reason God pokes me about motive is because lots of the time, my motives aren't all that good.

Sometimes my motive may be simply because I have to be or do something.

Sometimes it's to finesse may way through something.

Sometimes it's to just get ahead.

Sometimes it's to just keep up!

And unfortunately, I've had to adjust my motive, more than once!

But over & over again, He keeps reminding me that the motive is as important, or maybe more important, than the act.


Think about it.

Think about why you are who you are & do what you do.

Ask yourself the why question until you get to the bottom of your motive to being &/or doing  whatever is at hand.


Just a thought...