Have you ever seen, read or heard daily motivations that are intended to inspire you to greater things? These come from many different sources like, people, organizations, self-help books and articles.
Let's look at some questions that will provoke some thought about our personal motivations.
What are my current thoughts motivating me to think or do?
What is my motive when I interact with another person?
What motivates me to take action?
I can go on and on, but with those questions you can see the challenges we all face? God looks at all of our motives. Be them sinful, self serving, or God pleasing. No one is exempt.
What does the Bible say about our motives? Proverbs 16:2 (NKJV) says, “All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the LORD. Because the human heart is very deceitful."
I believe this means that we as the human race don't consider God all the time when it comes to all of our actions, thoughts, and deeds. Those that do not believe in Jesus may not even consider God at all. I believe God speaks to everyone regardless of their relationship with Him.
2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV) "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." With this promise I believe God gives everyone the chance to repent. In so doing He communicates with all of us.
With everything that enters our minds our motives get measured. Are they self-serving or God pleasing?
Let's talk about some common life choices that make our motives self evident. These are some of the topics that are in the news every day, but should help us really understand how our motives affect our lives.
ABORTIONS - I believe most people have an opinion on this topic, for, or against. Seldom do I here of someone being indifferent. But, no matter what your opinion is, the motivating factors are still there for each of us.
On one side of the debate, most opinions revolve around protecting the individual from some type of harm. It could be it financial, it could be the burdens it would create or medical issues, and so on...To lesson the severity and our conscience, we use words like protective rights, or it's my body, my choice. On the other side of the fence the opinions focus on what we sincerely believe is a baby's life while others who take on a more sanctimonious position. Either way, there are things that motivate us to make take a position.
MURDERS- Murders happen everyday. Some calculated, while others are a snap decisions. At the end of the day everyone involved is motivate during that moment. One to protect their life and the other to take a life. One could be completely innocent and never suspect that they'll be in a position that could end in their life. The other motivated by anger, greed, or the desire to protect their identity. As our society deteriorates, we're seeing people killed for no apparent reason at all.
LIES AND DECEIT- How many of us have told a little white lie? How many of us have told big lies? What motivates us to do this? Are we trying to protect ourselves? Do we want to keep something hidden? Are we concerned about our image in the other person's eyes?
We can sit here all day and come up with an endless amount of reasons why we lie. Something motivates us to do this almost every day. And few are innocent. Have you ever said good morning to someone and really meant it or is it just a common greeting we say? It may be sincere...and then again it may not be. I think you get my point.
JUDGING OTHERS- Everyday we are judging something or someone. No one is innocent. As Gods' word says in Genesis 6:5; "Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."
This was in the beginning and continues even today for both Christians and non-christians alike. One side points the finger at the other in every case. Words don't have to be spoken to be guilty of this. Everyone we see gets' judged. We are hopeless without Jesus paying the ultimate sacrifice for all of our sins. Being a Christian doesn't absolve us from sinning.
These are just a few examples that can help us understand what impact this is having on all of our lives.
The Biggest question now is can we as humans overcome our own self motivating sins? The answer in our next segment.