Motives Matter

Jeremiah 5-6; John 12 

“’Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.’ He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.”

John 12:5, 6

The motives for our words and actions matter to God. Judas betrayed Jesus and his team long before Gethsemane. His passionate and public defense of the poor was a cover for self-indulgence. It’s possible for social and mission agencies working with the poor to also focus on their own benefits rather than those they are serving. When we acknowledge our own poverty and need for God, we serve the Lord and others with motives of worship and obedience. Justice from the wrong motives will eventually be exposed.

How is God inviting us to humble ourselves?

Are our words and actions congruent?

“Lord Jesus, I repent for thinking more about my own needs than your glory and those you have called me to serve. I choose to honor you with resources entrusted to me, for your glory.”