Do we do good works to earn favor with God or do we do good works because we have an honest loving relationship with God and want to do what pleases him?
“Honesty in Our Motives” Rev Walt Wellborn
The letter from James, the half-brother of Jesus, was written to the “twelve tribes scattered among the nations,” (James 1:1 NIV). When you read through his letter you will discover that he is an ‘in your face’, ‘no holds barred’, ‘truth for truth’s sake’ follower of his brother. He doesn’t pull any punches and lands hard on the foundation that people will know we are Christians by the fruit that we bear. He teaches that faith without works is symptomatic of a deeper problem with our relationship with our Creator. If we are dedicated to following Christ, then we will exhibit the qualities of Christ by taking care of those around us and showing love to everyone we encounter. When James speaks truth, it hits us in the gut reminding us of how we constantly fall short in our walk with Christ. James forces us to take a good hard look at our Christian journey and address our shortcomings.
1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so 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. James 4:1-3 (NIV)
Doesn’t that step on a few of our toes, and shine a spotlight on our sometimes questionable motives? A great deal of tension in our lives comes from wanting what someone else has, whether it is money, property, respect, love, position, success, or security. They have it. We don’t have it. We want it. And we will do what we need to do to get it. There seems to be an unwritten code of ethics somewhere that whispers to us saying, “They have it and we deserve it so we will do what we have to do to get it.” God doesn’t seem to be a part of that conversation.
If we do involve God, it is often for the wrong reasons. Maybe we are trying to keep up with the Jones’. Maybe we feel we deserve a little more comfort or status than we have. The case is often that our asks of God in these matters is selfish. Do we honestly believe that we can fool God with our requests? “Lord, I could really use a new boat. Think of all the ministry I can do by taking people fishing?” “Lord, a million dollars would go a long way towards helping the needy in my community.” “Lord, just think of all the good I could do if you would just allow me to get elected as a County Commissioner.”
Jeremiah 17:9-10 says this: 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 each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”
Sometimes we need to hear words like this so we can examine our own motives as we search for how best God can use us, rather than presuming that what we think is best for us is what God thinks is best for forwarding his kingdom. Let us take the words of James seriously and shine a light on our motives and our hearts before we bring our petitions to our Creator. May we seek His purpose and guidance with humility as we choose service over selfishness.
