Motives

There's a phrase that it seems I use quite a lot: "Check your motives."

I tell it to other people, and most often, I tell it to myself. But I've been thinking about motives more lately, and not only what I think about them, but what God thinks about them. There are many references to a "pure heart" and other related terms in the Bible, including Hebrews 10:22 which encourages, "..let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith..." (NIV).

Now, I don't mean to say that the ideas I'm considering are the full (or even necessarily "correct") understanding of this verse, but it did catch my attention that we're instructed to draw near with a sincere heart. Not just draw near.

I have to wonder if the results and outcomes matter nearly as much as our intentions. If we get it wrong, but try for truly the right reasons, how does God see that? Now, my thought is that He probably views it quite kindly. I will add to this, however, a warning. Speaking only for myself, I know I have the capacity to convince myself that my reasons are "right," when, really, they're self-motivated. I want to tell someone they hurt me, and I position it as holding them accountable... and, in certain circumstances, this may very well be the case... but in others, my outward action may look identical, but my heart in it is self-serving.

I think that God knows us from the inside out. So what is happening within us has got to be at least as important as what is happening around us. I am praying today for a clean heart and clean hands. I want my only motives to be honoring His name and doing His will. I can only do it with His help, but He is faithful in all things!