Pure motives in serving

[Ben Collyer]

Ive been thinking about what motivates me to do what I do in ministry and also what motivates my decisions.

and in all honesty it seems a lot of my works maybe motivated by pride or selfish ambition. but how do we get a pure heart? is it something we can will ourselves into?

If God is the only one who can change our hearts, what if I ask God to create in me a clean heart and he says no?

 

[Symph]

It's about persistent effort my friend, the deep deep down honest kind. You have to do what you really can do within yourself and your spirit, give your literal best. I think sometimes when we hear "give your best to God" our minds go to things we know we cannot and will not do, but no it means the best you CAN do. So if you're not ready to start reading an hour in your bible every day, begin praying every day that God will help you to, if it's... it applies to everything, this goes along with the scripture about how if you knock on someone's door they may not answer for a while, but keep knocking and eventually they'll have to pay attention to you.

God likes to see how bad we want him over the world, and when he sees enough faith on display however you display it, he will respond. Whenever I know I'm too weak to do something I want to do for God, I honestly tell him in a quiet place and then really petition him to help me, if I see no change? I do it again the next day, I don't stop knocking until I see the change.

Also, start seeing what you can do for God you aren't doing. Could you be giving a little more to the poor? Have you thought about anyone you may have unforgiveness toward? Once again, you can't change these through will power, but you begin to make them the petitions of your heart and you do what you CAN to show him how badly you want it. I can attest to the fact that he will honor surprisingly small and simple acts of devotion to him. Even just turning off the TV for 15 minutes to listen to some praise and worship, he likes whatever you give from the honest depths of your heart, and only you and He know how much effort you put in, and how honest you are with it.

So to recap, when you can't do something you know you should for God, don't let guilt stifle you, and don't think you should be making it happen yourself, begin petitioning God repeatedly and showing Him you want it more than you want the your usual life comforts, and he will respond to your offerings of faith.

 

[Ben Collyer]

It's about persistent effort my friend, the deep deep down honest kind. You have to do what you really can do within yourself and your spirit, give your literal best. I think sometimes when we hear "give your best to God" our minds go to things we know we cannot and will not do, but no it means the best you CAN do. So if you're not ready to start reading an hour in your bible every day, begin praying every day that God will help you to, if it's... it applies to everything, this goes along with the scripture about how if you knock on someone's door they may not answer for a while, but keep knocking and eventually they'll have to pay attention to you.

God likes to see how bad we want him over the world, and when he sees enough faith on display however you display it, he will respond. Whenever I know I'm too weak to do something I want to do for God, I honestly tell him in a quiet place and then really petition him to help me, if I see no change? I do it again the next day, I don't stop knocking until I see the change.

Also, start seeing what you can do for God you aren't doing. Could you be giving a little more to the poor? Have you thought about anyone you may have unforgiveness toward? Once again, you can't change these through will power, but you begin to make them the petitions of your heart and you do what you CAN to show him how badly you want it. I can attest to the fact that he will honor surprisingly small and simple acts of devotion to him. Even just turning off the TV for 15 minutes to listen to some praise and worship, he likes whatever you give from the honest depths of your heart, and only you and He know how much effort you put in, and how honest you are with it.

So to recap, when you can't do something you know you should for God, don't let guilt stifle you, and don't think you should be making it happen yourself, begin petitioning God repeatedly and showing Him you want it more than you want the your usual life comforts, and he will respond to your offerings of faith.

Can you pack your message into a more concise/practical steps to a pure heart?

cheers mate

 

[Sarah G]

Sounds like the Holy Spirit already convicted you. The way to a pure heart is to listen to and be guided by the Holy Spirit.

 

[Faith Alone 1 Cor 15:1-4]

Ive been thinking about what motivates me to do what I do in ministry and also what motivates my decisions.

and in all honesty it seems a lot of my works maybe motivated by pride or selfish ambition. but how do we get a pure heart? is it something we can will ourselves into?

If God is the only one who can change our hearts, what if I ask God to create in me a clean heart and he says no?

Yea God hates pride , but if you do something in Jesus name it is good . Jesus wants you to stock up that treasure in heaven in many parables and also in Revelation 3:18 , Matthew 6:19-21 .

It's nothing wrong to be motivated by rewardss in heaven to do something good for somebody .

 

[Ben Collyer]

Yea God hates pride , but if you do something in Jesus name it is good . Jesus wants you to stock up that treasure in heaven in many parables and also in Revelation 3:18 , Matthew 6:19-21 .

It's nothing wrong to be motivated by rewardss in heaven to do something good for somebody .

how can you be sure of your motives regarding anything? the heart is wicked and deceitful

 

[Faith Alone 1 Cor 15:1-4]

how can you be sure of your motives regarding anything? the heart is wicked and deceitful

John 10:25-30
25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.

26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

30 I and my Father are one.

I know i have eternal life , im Jesus's sheep .

 

[Kit Sigmon]

Ive been thinking about what motivates me to do what I do in ministry and also what motivates my decisions.

and in all honesty it seems a lot of my works maybe motivated by pride or selfish ambition. but how do we get a pure heart? is it something we can will ourselves into?

If God is the only one who can change our hearts, what if I ask God to create in me a clean heart and he says no?

To whom in the Bible did God say no to that asked of Him to create in them a clean heart?

 

[Ben Collyer]

John 10:25-30
25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.

26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

30 I and my Father are one.

I know i have eternal life , im Jesus's sheep .

I cant see what that passage has to do with my question friend x

 

[Symph]

Can you pack your message into a more concise/practical steps to a pure heart?

cheers mate

That is soooo hard for me, I am SUCH an over explainer. But ok, I'm gonna try...

1. Don't strive to do things that you know you're not capable of doing. Instead, try to think of what smaller realistic things you CAN start doing that you aren't. (giving more, praying more, becoming more honest before God, etc)

2. Try to be persistent when you ask God, this is why I say "petition him" think of him as like a sensei who wants to train you but he won't until he knows you are serious about your training. Ever seen one of those kung fu movies where the little guy keeps showing up to the dojo every single day begging to be trained and finally after weeks they given in cause he just has so much heart? Yeah, think like that lol

3. When you start to feel guilty about it, cry out to God. This may not be easy for you, I know for my wife truly letting her heart out for God was not easy, so at first she did it very awkwardly. There's no wrong way to talk to God other than dishonestly or disrespectfully. So when you feel your motives are wrong or you feel guilty, don't turn to yourself, get on your knees, pray harder. Sometimes I'll pray for something for a long long time with no answer, and it's not until I break down and say "God I can't TAKE this anymore! Where ARE you?? Please I NEED YOU!!!" It's like, my moment of pure brokenness often times is what causes Him to act.



Ok and if that was STILL too long? Summarize it this way. The harder you work at not sinning yourself, the more frustrated you're gonna be. The harder you work at asking God to do it, and showing him as many steps of faith/obedience you can in the process, the more you reach the heart of God.

Even simpler way of putting it:

Don't try to push sin out, try to put more God in. Don't work hard to free yourself from sin, work hard to show God how badly you want HIM to do it.


Ok I just don't think this brain of mine knows how to be any more concise than that, hahaha someone else will probably come along and say this better at some point, that's usually how it goes

 

[faroukfarouk]

how can you be sure of your motives regarding anything? the heart is wicked and deceitful

Hi; focus on the obedience and service of the Lord Jesus, Who took upon Him the form of a servant, and was obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. (Philippians 2). It's a great passage to meditate on and very searching.

 

[simplySummer]

Years ago the Lord pointed out that my motives for serving was to win the approval of people and not out of a pure heart. This was very painful but I'm SO thankful He did that. I now check my motives to make sure I'm doing it for the right reasons.