Motives
How good are you at determining your own motives?
Verse of the Day
‘But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.’
Today’s Devotional
“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:1-4)
I’ve read through this section of scripture several times in the last few days, looking for what Jesus is teaching me and how to articulate it. In His kindness, God sent me to bibleref.com, and they explained it so much better that I can:
“So far in this Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has taught that righteousness includes a person’s heart—their thoughts and attitudes—as much as by their outward actions. Here, He begins to show that our inner person, including our motivations, is actually more important than actions. His message is not that what we do is unimportant, but that improper motives turn otherwise good deeds into selfishness.
One great temptation of living under the Law and the Prophets, at this moment in Israel’s history, was serving spiritual pride instead of serving God with pure devotion. This is still a challenge for many believers; the approval of other people is extremely tempting. Jesus warns His audience not to expect any heavenly reward, for even the most profound acts, if the motive behind those acts was simply to be seen by others (Matthew 6:2).
This statement in no way contradicts Jesus’ recent command to “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works…” (Matthew 5:16), since Jesus is speaking of two different motivations. Good works ought to be visible and public if and when that publicity primarily serves to “…give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Doing good such that others believe God is good is righteous. Doing good such that others think we are good is arrogance.
The Father does indeed reward His people in heaven for “practicing righteousness” in the ways Jesus is teaching. He does not reward behavior done to gain the praise and admiration of others.”
My motives matter. And if I can’t see or identify my motives, I can pray this section of Psalm 139 and ask God to show me the things I can’t see. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How good are you at determining your own motives?
How good are you at looking at the possible motives of others?
How much is the admiration of others something you think about?
Write a prayer to God based on Psalm 139:23-24 in your own words asking God to help you to see your motives.