Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Mixed motives

In reading my CBS lesson on Psalm 139, I came across this

"We are often perplexed by our errant thoughts and impulses, but He is not. We do not understand our mixed motives, but God knows the secrets of our hearts. Knowing us, He understands us and loves us, even when we do not understand and cannot love ourselves."

There are so many times in my life that I question my motives even when I ultimately know the action is right. Many times I'm motivated by equal parts of selfishness and duty, pride and service, desiring and giving. Perhaps it's a mission trip where I want to teach others about God, but I'm also excited about the trip itself. Or singing in the church choir - do I want a chance to show off and enjoy the challenge of singing or am I using the opportunity to minister to others through music? I know the motives behind my actions are infinitely more important than my actions themselves, but often I cannot pin down or understand my motives. Praise God that He can see through our human weaknesses and still loves us!

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