Recently a friend shared some exciting news ~she received an invitation to join a well-respected teaching ministry. But although she loved the idea of stepping out of her comfort zone and serving the Lord in a new way, she hesitated to accept the offer. “I know how prideful I can be,” she confided. “I’m afraid my motivation will slip from pleasing God to craving attention and respect for myself.”

I’ve thought alot about that conversation. As someone who has often struggled with mixed or impure motives, I understand her dilemma. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns us about this:

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1 NIV)

I wonder though, does Jesus want us to shy away from serving in public ways? Earlier in this sermon, He encourages us with these words:

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

I don’t think Jesus is sending us a mixed message. He isn’t saying we shouldn’t practice righteous living in front of others, but that we should be careful about our motivation.

In the verses from Matthew 5, Jesus doesn’t call us to go and shine our light for the world to see, but to let our light shine. When I do things to make my light shine, the focus centers on me. On the other hand, when I focus my attention on pleasing Him, my good deeds will naturally shine and bring Him glory. 

But here’s the tricky part. I do want to please and glorify God ~ but receiving praise and respect from others encourages me. I’m not sure I always operate from a single motivation. Sometimes my motives feel murky ~ godly desires mixed with a bit of selfish ambition. 

I imagine many of us can relate. As the prophet Jeremiah points out:

The heart is deceitful above all things
    and beyond cure.
    Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9 NIV)

In the Bible, the heart refers to our inner self~ where our mind, will, desires, and emotions reside. Jeremiah makes it clear: none of us can completely know or understand our hearts.

But if we can’t verify the purity of our motives, how can we move forward with our dreams and plans?

I think this gem from the book of Proverbs has the answer:

Above all else, guard your heart,
    for everything you do flows from it. (Proverbs 4:23 NIV)

The idea of guarding our hearts carries the connotation of being watchful so we can protect them from danger. If we allow pride or selfish ambition to motivate our choices, we will miss out on spiritual blessings (Matthew 6:1).

So how can we guard our hearts against impure motivation?

Start With Fear ~ When we start with a sober understanding of what can derail our pure motives, we position ourselves to resist those temptations. The Bible refers to this type of fear as wisdom (Proverbs 9:10).

Study His Word ~ Faithfully studying His Word allows us to filter our thoughts, desires, and choices through God’s standards. Through the Scriptures God instructs, corrects, rebukes and trains us in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Seek His Insight ~ Our hearts may be a mystery to us, but never to God (Jeremiah 17:10). We can seek His insight through prayer, as King David modeled: 

Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24 NIV)

As we move forward into 2023, I pray we all have the courage to step out in faith and set goals for serving the Lord. As we do so, I pray we guard our hearts so our good deeds glorify the One who continues to lead us home.