What's Your Motivation?

Lately I have had to question the reason I do and say things. I started doing so because I realized my motivation is changing slowly, but surely. It is a good thing. Perhaps you can benefit from examining your motives as well.

When I was a teenager, I taught a religion class to children in the summer. I did it to get brownie points with God, plain and simple. It was as though God owed me something for doing a good thing. How very foolish! Scripture says of our good works, "...that men may see the good that we do and give glory to God." Not that men give us credit or praise. Of course that may happen, but if that was your motive, you are rather shallow in your devotion to God and a man pleaser to boot just as I was. (Still am to some degree.)

As long as I am examining past motivations for good actions, I can recall also doing some good deeds as a self-imposed penance for my sins, as though Christ's death on the cross was for nothing. Again, how foolish of me!

The point I am making is this; the reason you and I obey God, do good deeds, read scripture, go to church, whatever we do, say or think, must be in grateful, loving response to the perfect love and forgiveness given to us by the Father through His precious Son, Jesus Christ.

There, I said it, and put out a challenge for all of us who don't want to follow Christianity Lite or be satisfied to be cultural Christians. Doma