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| Motives: What are they? |
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As Christians we operate our daily choices by our convictions and motives. Based on our life experiences, our interpretation of what God is sharing with us in His word, and our personal ethos we choose to go left or right in a decision.
Recently, I wanted to look at someone's picture list to see if a real pic was up for this person. Then I thought: What is my motive?
Just some examples:
1. maybe to see what they look like 2. maybe I will think they are attractive, we both are single 3. maybe I will make a judgement about them 4. maybe by their face, I can somehow try to understand them better...(judging a book by its cover!)
Who knows, I just know I questioned my thought process on this...I want to be found not in the seat of the scornful, nor in the councel of the ungodly. I do not want to stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers.
You may ask...how am I with just looking: I do not want to set anything vile infront of my face.
It's not always the pic, but my heart condition. What are your motives with magazines you subscribe to? Is there anything hidden in there that you peek at? Maybe a not dressed appropriately cheerleader. Maybe a too low-cut dress. Maybe you are secretely lusting after someone's body shape.
What is your heart condition?
1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 1:2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 1:3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. |
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| To add a comment to "Motives: What are they?" |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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| Wow...like on mychurch, you dont think people are like that,... wait, let me rephrase that..you dont think that you are like that..but this blog made it personal, and it makes a person reconsider the thoughts and motives going on behind the scenes. Good blog!! |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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May we be honest and not deceptive at all....
Ticklemeelmo, you are a blessing! |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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| Honesty is truly the best policy..and I am honestly gonna tell you that you are truly an amazing woman. =) |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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| aaawww, thanks. |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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| Hit the nail on the head with this blog .. thanks cheryl. |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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motives.... ugh... I hate looking at those... just kidding...well.... maybe not... When I examine my motives, I usually find somthing I dont like... but It's nesesarry if I'm going to work at being like Jesus... Thanks Cheryl...you're a blessing. |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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Cheryl
Very thought provoking. This is what I mean about "having church".. |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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| Good one Sister!!!!!!! |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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| That set the preacher on fire!!! That was a good word. |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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| Hm-m-m. |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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| From personal experience - whether it be male or female, reading between the lines its the heart condition and whether its been battered about or not. And whether it be male or female, judging by the background they came from, when asked a simple question - or a person just makes a polite remark, the immediate response is, what you after? |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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| amen guys! |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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| HMMMMM that can be such a tough one, I'm often remind myself that God looks upon the heart, not necessarily what I am doing. It causes me to examine myself often! Thanks for this! Great blog! |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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| Amen, I would what someone to be honest then to say something they don't mean! God bless you! Happy birthday again........ |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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Cheryl.....I think we all can use a circumcisiion of the heart at times ...the cutting away of fleshly attitudes
God Bless you sis |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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| Cheryl, Happy B-Day ! I enjoyed your insight we need to be ever mindfull :) |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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| It is what it is...thanks for the reminder. |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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Our Motives......Should Be Only...This...If We Love Him...We Will...stay focused on His Commandments alone. If We Keep those commandments....We Prove We are His Children, & Love Him....Jesus.
& if Not...We Do not Really Love Him..this is how We know the Children of the Devil.
They do not Keep the commandments.....Sinners find Excuses to not set aside those wrong Motives.
If a Person continues to Sin, & Cling to those wrong Motives They Are Not Children of the Light.
Rather...Children...of the Devil.........You shall know them by Their Fruit.
If they do not Love their Brothers.
Jesus...Firmly Preached a Gospel of Repentance. & Without Repenting There is No Remission of Sin.
Good Works...Prove Real Faith,....Faith without Works is Dead. It is Impossible to Please God
Without Real Faith.
A Christian.....Without......Clear....Evidence of Repenting of ALL Sin....is a Liar....& should
Repent First.....& Get Right....with God....Before....Claiming to even Be a Christian.
That poor example displayed..........is like Trying to Sell anying that is JUNK.
People look a Your example your testimony, you a witness to exactly what ???
When the World does not see any change....where is the advantage of coming to Jesus when We Look
at You ???
So when The Bible tells us to be Witnesses...to the outermost..ends of the Earth.
Display Him in Your Life & That He is in complete Charge of it.
I knew a Fellow With a Antique Business.....He use to Yell....Worthless Junk ...High Prices.
I just thought of that...a Flash Back...does it have anything to do with this? Will have to make it work Now...LOL.
What we are ?......We are Sales Men For The Lord.....
We are to be Selling HIM......... & are to do it Well !!! Expertly, & Convincingly.
Do we Yell Like the Antique Sales.
How should we Bring attention to Jesus......We are called to Compell Other To See the Value & Worth.....Real Advantages to come to Jesus.
If You Were Trying to sell your old car.......I have seen both extremes
When I was a Teenager I had a Friend.....He would buy & sell cars.....most of the ones were all very
neglected......mostly all he did was wash & wax These cars & turn right around & sell them for Huge profits.
Repentance is The wash & wax.....We show appreciation toward the Gospel.
We are to Shine The Gospel....so that People see a Higher Value in it , a Greater Worth,
So They appreciate and would Want to Invest in what You have.
So are You Dull.....Bringing no Attention of Value.....or are You all Waxed & Shine the Radiance of the Lord??
The Lord has a Motive ...His Life Displayed the Motives By His Example....I AM about My Fathers Business. I do What My Fathers tells Me to Do.
This Is a Business....His Motive is to Save The Lost.
We do well at this if We.........Shine Bright.......as to Draw All Men onto Him. This Way we are serving His Business Well & correctly. We are in sales !!........Earn Your Great Commissions.....have good Sales |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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| motives should be guided by love, what you can offer to someone else, not always what you can get from them. |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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4Him_I_Live, Can you elaborate on your comment. I read it & I think I might have a misleading perception on it.
Thanks. |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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| Good one, Cheryl! (Where's CindyLouWho's steel-toed boots???) |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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HOW CAN I HAVE MOTIVES WHICH PLEASE GOD? Psalm 19:14 . . . May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Ask God to give you motives which please him. Psalm 26:2. . . . Put me on trial, Lord, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and affections. Proverbs 17:3 . . . Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart. God will test our motives, giving us an opportunity to grow. 2 Thessalonians 1:11 . . . We keep on praying for you, that our God will make you worthy of the life to which he called you. And we pray that God, by his power, will fulfill all your good intentions and faithful deeds. God, by his power, can give us pure motives. 1 Chronicles 28:8-10 . . . Get to know the God of your ancestors. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and with a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and understands and knows every plan and thought. We must learn to serve the Lord with a pure heart and mind. Proverbs 21:2 . . . People may think they are doing what is right, but the Lord examines the heart. We must recognize that God is as interested in motive as he is in deed. 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 . . . My conscience is clear, but that isn’t what matters. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide. Remember that God alone knows your heart. Ask him to reveal to you any area in which your motives are less than pure. |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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| Nice Blog Good Comments I like that MaKelly !! |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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| Cheryl: I'm passing around my steel toed boots for this one.....good one!!!!!! Grammy gets them after I'm through, hehehehe |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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that is really good. i know that i have to do that a lot. thanks for the advice. |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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Ditto all the comments.....My motive, My Heart is to encourage, send prayers, Lots of Hugs, Love & Blessings....Picture or No Picture. Love YOu Much Cheryl with your beautiful Picture off Leaves...Love It! |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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| Great blog, Cheryl. Something to think about, as you pointed out! Thanks! |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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I Think....You Motivate Us Cheryl.
From The e-mail this Morn. Ya Got Me Goin..haha |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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Cheryl,
I agree with a poster before. Break out the steel toed boots. You know I really like photography but just don't take them like I used to. For me, they are frozen moments in time and I wonder what the person is thinking then. We all like pretty faces though and miss seeing yours sister. |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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| Yes... I too am encouraged by this post... have been convicted of the motivations of my heart ... discovered it is not so much, what I do and say, but the spirit behind it; was grieved when I saw the darkness of my selfish heart, better understood my need of salvation and my great need to identify with HIM at Calvary and through the power of His resurrection within through the new birth experience, for without the cross/resurrection their is no throne/victory for us ... was given the desire to be motivated by His Holy Spirit... to be motivated by HIS love... HIS truth... HIS desire... His nature within... having surrendered my all... to receive that which HE offers for the adamic nature (as a new creation in Christ the entire old nature comes to an end when we are born of His spirit... part of which includes the motivations/desires/truths of our heart, that we might receive that which was appropriated for us through the new birth experience... as we grow and mature and walk it out daily, hid in Christ through God). |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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| Amen everyone! Thanks~ |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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well spoken sister... Blessing |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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Cheryl... hope you don't mind another comment: I was reminded of the scripture below as I was meditating before the Lord over my day to include what I read here at mychurch ... especially with regard to our true motivations... our need to be motivated by HIS love... a fruit of the Spirit which is worked in us through the power of revelation/conviction/transformation/fiery trials and tribulations/and...................................................: If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. And if I have `the gift of' prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And if I bestow all my goods to feed `the poor', and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing. Love suffereth long, `and' is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil; rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth: but whether `there be' prophecies, they shall be done away; whether `there be' tongues, they shall cease; whether `there be' knowledge, it shall be done away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known. But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
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| September 22, 2008 |
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| God knows the heart and weighs the motives. We can fool others and even ourselves but God knows who's heart is pure before Him. |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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For the word of God is living and full of power, and is sharper than any two-edged sword, cutting through and making a division even of the soul and the spirit, the bones and the muscles, and quick to see the thoughts and purposes of the heart. |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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Humm....for some reason I can't insert a scripture, so I will just type it!
1 Samuel 16:7 "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have rejected him. Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart."
Always have loved this scripture...great word Cheryl...be blessed! |
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| September 22, 2008 |
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| MaKelly--outstanding! Great food for thought Cheryl. Our motives can surely lead us in the wrong direction in a hurry--if we don't weigh ourselves against His word. |
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| September 23, 2008 |
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Amen guys, thanks
Thanks for the verse additions too! |
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| September 23, 2008 |
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| Nice blog Cheryl...Me...well I'm a FOR REAL person...and I love FOR REAL people....and that goes way beyond what they look like on the outside (smile) |
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| September 23, 2008 |
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| Nice Blog and honest that's what I love about you....Thank you my sister for this one .....Food for thought |
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| September 23, 2008 |
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Amen ladies!
Thanks~
(me too MarJay!!...Jesus was a realist!) |
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| September 23, 2008 |
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| Amen Sis - Good word |
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| September 23, 2008 |
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| Great blog, Cheryl!! When we judge others, we put ourselves above them. I know we are called to judge the actions of others based on morality, but we dare never judge another's heart or the state of their salvation. Hate the sin, love the sinner... :) Great blog. |
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| September 24, 2008 |
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| Amen |
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| September 27, 2008 |
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| this is indeed a congregation of the mighty. there is a way that seems right to a man but therein lies destruction. talking about motives, the bible talks about 2 kings- one did what was right in the sight of God but not with a perfect heart. the other was not perfect but God said "he's a man after my own heart". coming to us as the new creation, remember God is the husbandman. he prunes everything he doesn't like in your life. just yield yourself to the holy spirit. Remember church is not for perfect people but for the perfecting of the saints. As we look into the mirror of God's word, we are metamorphosed into what we see then we don't just obey God but live the life he has called us into with love.God bless you all. |
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