Jeremiah 17:9-10
9-10 “The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful,
a puzzle that no one can figure out.
But I, God, search the heart
and examine the mind.
I get to the heart of the human.
I get to the root of things.
I treat them as they really are,
not as they pretend to be.”
(The Message Bible. Bible Gateway, biblegateway.com, Accessed July 13, 2021).
Now and then we need to lay our heart before the Holy Spirit for an examination. This check-up is to advise us of what is motivating our deeds. When doing good is not the motivation for our deed, we may have unknowingly slipped into sin.
Are we motivated by:
- Handclaps
- Awards/rewards/recognition
- Obligations/commitments/expectations
- Verbal affirmations
The truth be told, is if our motivation is not to unselfishly supplying a need that we are qualified to handle. And if we are not fulfilling this need out of love for God and a love for people. We may find ourselves in a position of not pleasing God. Because when pride and arrogance replace humility and submission we are not operating in the will of our Heavenly Father. As a result, the crowd replaces our crown and the accolades we receive here on Earth may very well be all that we will ever receive.
There is this shade of grey between pride and humility called false humility that is hard to recognize. Especially when we were originally motivated by doing a good deed, but the attention of the crowd sparked a desire for more of the crowds’ attention. The attention within itself is not a problem. The problem arises when the attention received is the motivating factor for our actions and tarnish our good deeds.
False humility not examined by the Holy Spirit will fool us and those around us. To keep false humility at bay we must consult with the Holy Spirit about the condition of our heart and the motivating factors for our deeds. We may fool ourselves and others, but we will never fool God because He sees us for who we are and not what we pretend to be.
Prayer,
Most gracious Heavenly Father we desire to love you and our neighbor. We pray that our motivation for good deeds is strictly to do good, be good, and be your representative on the Earth. We ask that the Holy Spirit shine the light of purity into our hearts and expose every motivation that is based upon pride, arrogance, and is self-serving. We release ourselves from the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life and bind ourselves to humility, servitude, and discipline. Holy Spirit we give you permission to have your way in our lives and bring forth holiness so that we may be pleasing to our Father in Heaven.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Categories: Journey
