What is My Motive?

What really is my motive? Why exactly am I serving God? Why do I wake up every morning and have my devotion with God? Why do I make an effort to read the word and stir up myself in the Lord whenever I'm feeling down? Why is it that spiritual growth is very important to me? Why do I ask God to prune me? Why do I genuinely want to be best I can ever be? Why don't I put myself in situations that will cause me to sin? Why have I decided to serve God with all my life?

I believe I'm at that stage where doing good is not the problem, not anymore, but I want to know why it is that I am choosing to do good. I remember when I served God because I believed that serving Him meant an easy life, boy was I wrong. Or that it meant I would achieve my purpose in life - this one is actually true. That I would be great, you know in terms of wealth, happiness, fame, etc. Then it became because I know He's capable of seeing through anything. From time to time my motive for serving Him would change. But lately I've been studying myself, learning about why I do certain things. I strongly believe motive is a very crucial aspect of my spiritual life. So I needed to make sure that things were right in this area. I should want to serve God because He deserves it all, simple and short. 

God deserves it all, that's all there is to it. So when things are not going well, my submission to God is not affected. I don't stop serving because He deserves it all regardless of how I am feeling. When it doesn't feel like I'm walking in my purpose, I still do what I am supposed to do. When I've known trials, struggles, etc. more than the supposed happy life, I still will serve Him! When I feel like He is far away from me, He still remains as God. I don't do good and then feel entitled to a reward, God is God and deserves more than my good. And if I choose not to serve Him, there are 24 elders in heaven, worshiping Him day and night, nonstop. My so-called righteousness is like a filthy rag before Him (Isaiah 54:6). 

This is one thing I am currently drilling into my head, God is sovereign! My feelings, attitude, situation, the time of the day, the weather, hunger, people's attitude/behavior, whatever it is, should not hinder my willingness to serve Him. Period.
Check your motives and learn to genuinely want to worship God because He is God and deserves it all.


Stay Stellar!
Didi

Excuses.

So I'm reading through Exodus and got to where Moses encountered God at the burning bush - chapter 3 & 4. God tells Moses that he hears the cries of his children and will keep the promise he made to Jacob/Israel to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. God goes on to say that he will do that through Moses, that he has called Moses for such a time as this.. That Moses will stand before Pharaoh and speak for the Israelites so that they can be set free (they were being afflicted by the Egyptians). Immediately God mentioned Moses going before Pharaoh, Moses goes

1. "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?"
• God says "But I will be with you.." This wasn't enough for Moses because further down the chapter, he gives another excuse..
2. "But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice. for they shall say "the Lord did not appear to you."
• God gives Him a sign to appease the Israelites and show that God truly has sent him. And then, the very thing Moses was worried about. I believe excuses 1 and 2 were birthed out of this last one. Moses saw himself as in-eloquent and therefore believed that he was incapable of standing before Pharaoh and that the Israelites will not "listen to his voice."
3. "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue."
•  God also resolved this excuse by saying He is God and will be with His mouth. Moses goes "Oh God please send someone else." This sentence right here hit home for me. How many times have God called you and you tell him to use other people. Sometimes I even name people who I think are adequate and perfect for the mission. A lot of us have been here. Thing is that God tends to call us for a mission that is tremendously beyond our capabilities because He wants to show himself as God. However, God later decided to give Moses Aaron (Moses' brother) to speak alongside him.

Did you know that as time passed (Genesis 8 to be exact), Moses started speaking to Pharaoh himself? Did you know that God doesn't call you and leave you? He won't bring you this far to leave you. God is not oblivious to your inadequacies, He understands that you have a reason to worry BUT He will be with you. Your concerns are valid and that is why God attends to them. It is okay to have inadequacies but you shouldn't dwell on them. God wants us to walk by faith and not by sight. He wants to know that even when all is not well that we will walk with Him. That regardless of how bad it is looking you wouldn't let those excuses get the best of you. Let go of those excuses and dive fully into what He has called you to do.

*All excerpts are from ESV Bible Version.