WHY Are You Doing, What You’re Doing, When You're Doing It???

“Jesus declared to His followers “‘Thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray... that they may be seen of men.’” Matt. 6:5

Last week Lee and I were playing a game with some friends that gave you the option to use some of your dominoes to help out the other players. Now it worked out that I could do this by using pieces that I had no other place to play. In truth, I felt funny having them thank me, since in reality I was helping myself as well and thereby eventually winning the game. That’s when Papa whispered to my heart. “Sandy, how often in real life, are your motives also mixed in the good things you do?”  Ouch! Anyone else ever been there???

Well, during the Sermon on the Mount, one of the first things Jesus warns His followers about was mixed motives. We learn that it wasn’t prayer that these religious leaders loved or spending time with God; they loved being seen and highly regarded as spiritual by others. In fact, their prayer time had very little to do with God at all. From the window of their hearts that Jesus pulled the curtain back on, we can surmise that God was on the back burner of their intercession, if He was there at all and their wrong motivations render the prayers themselves null and void.

Well what about you and me? Many of us have known the Lord for a while now and although we still fall short on a daily basis, hopefully, we’ve learned the results of outward sin and so we try to avoid it. However, Jesus said in Luke 12:48 “To whom much is given, much is required” and as mature believers; God expects more from us.

In fact, I’m not sure about you, but God has begun to deal with me not just about the outward wrong things I do---But also about the inner motives for the “good” things I do. He often whispers to my heart, “Sandy, Why are you doing, what you’re doing, when you are doing it?” And if I’m to be honest, I have to admit that sometimes my motives aren’t entirely pure; instead they may also be to be liked or appreciated instead of purely desiring to bless others or serve God.

Can anyone relate??? Well, mixed motives are not God’s desire for us. In fact, according to Ps. 51:6 David shares that God “desires truth in the inward parts” It’s His desire that we be clean on the inside, as well as where others can see.  God is interested in what we do on the outside to be sure, but His ultimate concern is with our inner motivations! Because who we are on the inside, will surely determine what we do on the outside!! So it’s a matter of our heart condition!

Of course, I can’t see the inner workings of your heart...but I can peek into mine and sadly I fall short here; because my motives can be all over the place. And if today, you aren’t sure what is in your heart, in Luke 6:45 Jesus revealed that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” so our words are an excellent indicator of what is happening on the inside. Thankfully though, God is filled with mercy and He brings our mixed motives to our attention so we can be forgiven and then He can restore them to purely God honoring ones!

One of the best ways to change the inner workings of our heart is to change the focus of what we allow it to concentrate on. Change the focal point of anything and eventually you will see a change of direction!  It’s like when you’re driving, if you keep looking off to the side of the road>>>you’ll eventually end up in a ditch...because change the focal point of anything and eventually you’ll see a change of direction! So God should be the focal point of our lives; because as we choose to center the inner focus of our lives on Jesus, then our mixed motivations are dealt with. Thankfully, this also mean that the direction (aka the outer workings) of our lives get shifted from following after what we want, to pursuing the godly works that we were originally created to do!

 So, let us not just rely on the good works that we actively perform; may we also present ourselves and our motives to the only One who can cleanse them and turn them as He will! Oh that we might sincerely pray with David “May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14 May the words that we speak and the thoughts that we entertain, spring up from pure motives that flow from cleansed hearts that wholly desire to glorify His holy name...for the Lord peers into and judges us by the inner workings of our hearts. (I Samuel 16:7, I Chronicles 28:9)

Let’s pray.

Papa, we know that You long for truth in the inward parts of who are and so we want that too. Please help us bring wrong motivations to You, so we can be forgiven and begin to walk out godly works that spring from the pure motives You desire. Help us Lord to have hearts that bring You honor and glory. In Jesus name, Amen.