A couple of years ago I made my decision. I was going to live my life completely-100% for Christ and his puposes. Recently, I decided that I wanted nothin more in life than for God, my creator to be my best friend. However, I feel that I want these things for the wrong reasons. I'm still motivated by self. I know I won't be pleased with myself unless God is pleased with me -but my ultimate goal seems to be to please myself. I love God, but I love myself more. I've prayed for God to increase my love for him but even this is selfishly motivated-I'm looking out for myself. My goal in life is to be a great Christian man through service but I don't think its out of love God but because I love myself so much. If anyone wants to give me advice I'll be glad to hear it but right now I'm just praying for the Holy Spirit to change MY heart and increase MY love. I want to increase the kingdom of God for the sake of the kingdom of God not for myself. Maybe its normal to be like this at first -I don't know. Maybe that's why "all our works are as filthy rags." But I've known people that were sold out for Jesus for his ake -I long to be that kind of person.
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What are your motives?
- Thread starter Smithaw1
- Start date
Rafael
Only time enough for love
Don't be in a hurry to grow. God will take care of what you cannot. It is natural to love oneself, as the scripture declares that no man hateth his own flesh, but nourishes it and cares for it.
Keep your desire to grow in His love and grace, as there will surely come some valleys in life that will test your faith and make it even stronger. So don't be in a hurry, but be reading to give and do as the Lord would have you do. Perhaps some Christian service of working with the handicaped or poor would help you be more satisfied as a vessel pouring yourself out in service to others - giving your life as service for Him. I did this for nine years and learned much.
Well, blessings to you, and here is a verse or two about love.
I JOHN 3:16-19 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with ACTIONS and TRUTH. This then is how we KNOW that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us.
Jeremiah 22:16 He defended the cause of the POOR & NEEDY, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to KNOW me! declares the Lord.
MATT. 25:31-45 When the Son of Man comes in his glory....He will put
the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.....Then he will say
to those on his left,'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the
eternal fire prepared for the devil & his angels. FOR I WAS HUNGRY &
YOU GAVE ME NOTHING TO EAT, I WAS THIRSTY & YOU GAVE ME NOTHING TO
DRINK, I WAS A STRANGER & YOU DID NOT INVITE ME IN, I NEEDED CLOTHES
AND YOU DID NOT CLOTHE ME, I WAS SICK AND IN PRISON, AND YOU DID-- NOT
LOOK AFTER ME.". "Whatever you did not do for one of the least of
these, you did not do for me."
Keep your desire to grow in His love and grace, as there will surely come some valleys in life that will test your faith and make it even stronger. So don't be in a hurry, but be reading to give and do as the Lord would have you do. Perhaps some Christian service of working with the handicaped or poor would help you be more satisfied as a vessel pouring yourself out in service to others - giving your life as service for Him. I did this for nine years and learned much.
Well, blessings to you, and here is a verse or two about love.
I JOHN 3:16-19 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with ACTIONS and TRUTH. This then is how we KNOW that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us.
Jeremiah 22:16 He defended the cause of the POOR & NEEDY, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to KNOW me! declares the Lord.
MATT. 25:31-45 When the Son of Man comes in his glory....He will put
the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.....Then he will say
to those on his left,'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the
eternal fire prepared for the devil & his angels. FOR I WAS HUNGRY &
YOU GAVE ME NOTHING TO EAT, I WAS THIRSTY & YOU GAVE ME NOTHING TO
DRINK, I WAS A STRANGER & YOU DID NOT INVITE ME IN, I NEEDED CLOTHES
AND YOU DID NOT CLOTHE ME, I WAS SICK AND IN PRISON, AND YOU DID-- NOT
LOOK AFTER ME.". "Whatever you did not do for one of the least of
these, you did not do for me."
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Hi there. let me tell you first that God is a builder and not a magician. Things take time and God will bring tests to your life to simply test your ability to hold onto him and see if you can fully trust him. And of course satan will also bring doubt and lies as well.
About your motives my advice would be search the Lord with all of your heart and with all your soul even if you dont feel it. If you do in fact have the wrong motives, the Lord will change them eventually, but it might take time.
Maybe God does want you to have the wrong motives "for now" so that you might be able to just HOLD ON... and believe and wait for greater things to take place in your life and move you to greener pastures.
Just keep believing, keep reading our Fathers guide (Bible) and keep praying because when you feel that you can't take this anymore it's in fact when you are the closest to achieve God's purposes in your life.
God bless
About your motives my advice would be search the Lord with all of your heart and with all your soul even if you dont feel it. If you do in fact have the wrong motives, the Lord will change them eventually, but it might take time.
Maybe God does want you to have the wrong motives "for now" so that you might be able to just HOLD ON... and believe and wait for greater things to take place in your life and move you to greener pastures.
Just keep believing, keep reading our Fathers guide (Bible) and keep praying because when you feel that you can't take this anymore it's in fact when you are the closest to achieve God's purposes in your life.
God bless
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PottersClay
Servant of the Most High
Smithaw1 said:
One thing that I found to be a turning point in my relationship with God was when I stopped desiring to have God my best friend and started to pray that I would become someone God would call His best friend.
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Alternate Carpark
Well-Known Member
Ah...well said PottersClay.
Allowing and actually asking God to work in you to transform you into the beautiful person He originally designed you to be.
And doesn't reality take on a new perspective when He does.
We truely start to become like Christlike and see what God sees.
Awesome...truely awesome.
The physical becomes dimmer and the spiritual becomes clearer.
Allowing and actually asking God to work in you to transform you into the beautiful person He originally designed you to be.
And doesn't reality take on a new perspective when He does.
We truely start to become like Christlike and see what God sees.
Awesome...truely awesome.
The physical becomes dimmer and the spiritual becomes clearer.
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Be weary and careful of not tainting the powerful relationship God is and has been offering you by obsession for something other than what is presented. God moves graciously.
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