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| The Measure of a Man |
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I have a quote, I believe it is out of a daily devotional, however I didn’t write down the author… Anyway, this is what it is:
The measure of a man’s character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.
Isn’t that a mouthful? What are the things you do when no one is watching? What would you do if you knew you would never get caught? If you never got any credit for helping, would you help? If there were no reward of heaven, would you still go around being a servant and helping others?
I know that a lot of what I do now, is with the knowledge that God is watching. God knows what we do and whether our hearts are in it or not. Other people might not be able to see what our motivation is, but God does. If you do that certain task that someone asks you to do, but you complain and moan and groan about it, then what is that saying about your motivation? You are doing it more because it is expected of you than because you want to. And I can certainly admit and confess that I am not always motivated to do things because I want to help others. Sometimes I moan and groan when asked to do something. Sometimes I say no. Maybe it is because I have no interest or knowledge of what I have been asked to do. Other times it is because I just don’t want to. There is nothing wrong with saying no. Sometimes we take on more than we should. But we have to have a heart to do it. And that most often means we have to have a heart for Jesus, who will then give us the desire and strength to do what He wants us to do.
If our motivation to do things for others, comes from being recognized or rewarded, then we shouldn’t be doing anything. It is nice to be recognized, but it shouldn’t be the reason we do good.
What motivates you? |
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A clean conscience before God, i.e. the Holy Spirit. Also my children and wife!!!!!!! And yes, I do mess up when no one is looking but God. Which is why I say, look to Christ not me! (But when I believe I'm following Christ's example then I say with Paul, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.")
Great thoughts, Deb! |
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Jen |
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June 13, 2008 at 12:17pm |
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| I agree with you. Motivations are important. A servant's heart is what God wants, I would say. |
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I have that on my home page, but I have it in a different format: the man that you are when no one is watching is the man that you are And I have it scrolling because it is a cycle - the man that you are when no one is watching is the man that you are when no one is watching is the man that you are when no one is watching is the man that you are when no one is watching... Of course, it is in relation to other people - we know God sees and knows all. |
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| Motivators help us through the hard times, I am still searching for my motivator as well. |
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Deb |
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June 14, 2008 at 9:49am |
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Prudence, and that is the best motivator to have!
Mike, thank you...I certainly hope that I can portray a Godly image for Christ, but I do make mistakes, and I hope that people will follow Him rather than me!
Jen, yes, God wants us to be servants. That is not always easy to do, but it is what we are called to do.
Growing, an excellent thing to have on your page. God sees it all...
Angel, you don't have to search far. Look to God as your motivator. |
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Cyn |
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June 15, 2008 at 3:15pm |
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| GOD SHOULD ALWAYS BE OUR MOTIVATOR..FOR WHICH HE IS MINE..ALL THE TIME! AWESOME POST! |
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| Great blog Deb. Why we do something is possibly more important than what we do. In order to purify our motives requires us, as you said, to be cognizant that God knows our motives and we must remain loyal to Him. J I Packer reflects on this idea when he said, "The essence of Christian service is loyalty to the king expressing itself in care for his servants (Matthew 25: 31-46)." Packer goes on to say, "Only the Holy Spirit can create in us the kind of love toward our Savior that will overflow in imaginative sympathy and practical helpfulness towards his people. Unless the spirit is training us in love, we are not fit persons to go to college or a training class to learn the know-how or particular branches of Christian work. ". |
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Ed |
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June 16, 2008 at 6:31am |
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| Those "inner compulsions" are always there, aren't they? The difference is where those compulsions come from, i.e., the world or the Holy Spirit. For a Christian the pure motivations of love and service SHOULD come from the Holy Spirit, but I'm wondering...how many Christians know and feel the pure motivations, but are tempted away from them? I must admit, I am not as perfect as I think I am, the world offers many things that I could easily succumb to and it's sometimes a struggle to keep my motivations pure. I'm just glad I have Jesus to help me become the man I should be. |
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Deb |
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June 16, 2008 at 11:44am |
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Cyn, thank you!
Pastor Tim, Excellent quote you gave. The Holy Spirit must be our trainer, or else we cannot learn.
Ed, Amen to that...having Jesus to help us is the only way. Otherwise we would be just a lost person wandering aimlessly around this earth. |
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