MOTIVATION
MATTERS
BREAD
9 “And
you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with
wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every
heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he
will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 10 Consider
now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong
and do the work.” 1 Chronicles 28:9-10
(NIV)
2 All
a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.
Proverbs 16:2 (NIV)
9 The
heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 10 “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to
reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds
deserve.” Jeremiah 17:9-10 (NIV)
7 But
the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I
have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks
at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)
5 Therefore
judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will
bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's
hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. 1 Corinthians 4:4-5 (NIV)
3 For
the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we
trying to trick you. 4 On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be
entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests
our hearts. 1 Thessalonians 2:3-4 (NIV)
33 “Make
a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will
be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34 You
brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the
overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The
good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man
brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.” Matthew 12:33-35 (NIV)
2 You
want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what
you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When
you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may
spend what you get on your pleasures. 4 You
adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred
toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of
God. James 4:2-4 (NIV)
22 You
were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self,
which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to
be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and
to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and
holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV)
3 I
care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not
even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me
innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore
judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will
bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's
hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. 1 Corinthians 4:3-5 (NIV)
23 Whatever
you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since
you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is
the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong,
and there is no favoritism. Colossians
3:23-25 (NIV)
BUTTER
“A
concern for the glory of God is the ultimate motive for Christian living.” Anonymous
“Man sees your actions, but God, your
motives.” Thomas a
Kempis
“The most important thing in life isn’t what we
think about ourselves or what others think about us, but what God thinks about
us. He is the final Judge. When He examines and evaluates our motives, words,
and actions, are we commended, as was Abel, or are we condemned, as was his
brother Cain? ‘The Lord does not look at the things man looks at,’ God told the
prophet Samuel. ‘Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the
heart’ (1 Samuel 16:7). Warren
Wiersbe
“Our motivation
behind our works is to please the Lord – to do His will from our hearts –“doing the
will of God from your heart.” Ephesians
6:6 (NIV) as one expositor states: “Mark
how this motive sweetens, sanctifies, ennobles our earthly work. It then becomes a part of our worship. Animated by such a thought, the school boy
diligently, joyfully applies himself to his task. The clerk needs no other master’s eye over
him to keep him to his work. The
tradesman carefully executes his orders to the last stitch, when he feels that
he works not merely for men, but for Christ.
The merchant no longer sells spurious or adulterated goods, when he
feels that he sells, not to men, but to the Lord Himself. The minister, the physician, the lawyer, are
no longer content with a formal or perfunctory discharge of duty. The creditor, presenting his account, asks no
more than is really due, and the debtor faithfully pays it.” W.
Grant
“Seek the advice of your betters in preference to following
your own inclinations.” Thomas a Kempis
“Since ‘The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure’, it is wise
for us, like King David, to pray: ‘23 Search me, O God, and know my
heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive
way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’ (Psalms 139:23-24 (NIV)). And, also like King David as well, allow
ourselves to have friends like Nathan who are willing to tells us the difficult
things so that we may change and no longer be on the path of destruction. All sin leads to death of something. Just saying…”
BHY
“I
have rightfully no other business each day but to do God’s work as a servant,
constantly regarding His pleasure. May I
have grace to live above every human motive, simply with God and to God.” Henry Martyn
“The real difference between the Buddhist and the
Christian cannot be seen in their behavior, but in their heart and motives. One
works to be saved, the other works because he is already saved. One can never
rest from his work of making merit, the other rests in the work of Christ. One
has no idea where he will go when he dies; the other has the full assurance of
an eternity with God. The good news has never seemed more good.” Suzy
Triplett
“God never strikes except for
motives of love, and never takes away but in order to give.” Francois
Fenelon
HEART SAVOR
·
Beware of your
heart – it can be deceitful and lead you wrong.
Seek to listen to His still small voice and take everything back to His
flawless Word. He will never lead you
wrong. He guides us in “paths of
righteousness for His name’s sake” – through His power, for His glory, for our
good.
·
There is no higher
call in life than pleasing the One Who gave it to us.
·
Our conscience may
be clear but that does not make us innocent – it is the Lord Who judges
us.
