Why Do We Do What We Do?
“The word of God came to Solomon saying, “About this Temple you are building—what’s important is that you live the way I’ve set out for you and do what I tell you, following my instructions carefully and obediently. Then I’ll complete in you the promise I made to David your father. I’ll personally take up my residence among the Israelites—I won’t desert my people Israel.” (1 Kings 6:11-13, MSG)
With God, it’s not about the externals but about the internals – the heart before all else because everything else flows out of the heart. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23, NCV)
It’s okay and in fact required that we as Christians serve God actively within and outside our places of worship but we have to constantly examine our motives to ensure that they are pure and acceptable to the One we are meant to be serving.
Why do we do what we do?
Negative motives that drive our actions could be –
1. A desire to attract attention and a following
“God didn’t send me out to collect a following for myself, but to preach the Message of what he has done, collecting a following for him.” (1 Corinthians 1:17a, MSG)
There is an inordinate desire in the world for stardom and popularity, neither of which were sought for by Jesus, our Example. Our goal in life must be to do our Father’s will and that HE might be glorified in and through our daily lives –
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16, NIV)
2. A desire to look good (like the poster Christian)
3. The thinking that we can ‘earn’ blessings from God by ‘working’ for Him.
It really does matter to God why we do what we do…..even in His name.
At the core of everything we do for God should be a desire to PLEASE HIM if for nothing else, because we were created for His pleasure (Rev. 4:11).
The second core thing is LOVE. We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19) and our love for Him both constrains and drives us (2 Corinthians 5:14)