CHAPTER 11: MOTIVES MATTER: SERVING GOD FROM A PURE HEART ========================================================= Book: Knowing God, Loving God Umushumba Fidele Bolton URL: https://kgm-school-preview.netlify.app/library/en/knowing-god-loving-god/11-motives-matter/ CHAPTER 11: MOTIVES MATTER: SERVING GOD FROM A PURE HEART ========================================================= 1. The Danger of Wrong Motives in Service Many may say, “But we serve God! Look at our projects, our ministries, and our grand visions for bringing the kingdom of God to earth!” While it is good to engage in God’s work, we must ask a deeper question: Why do we do it? Paul encountered people who preached the gospel not out of pure love for Christ but for selfish reasons: “It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice” (Phil. 1:15–18). Paul rejoiced that Christ was being preached, even if some did it for the wrong reasons. However, this doesn’t mean motives are irrelevant for the individual servant. God will judge not only the work but the heart behind it. Not all works done in the name of God will survive the test of divine judgment if the motive is impure. Our motives matter immensely, and our service must ultimately be done from a heart of love for God and others, not self-interest. 2. The Refining Fire of Judgment It is not enough to simply do the work of God—the work must be built on the right foundation (Jesus Christ) and with the right materials (pure motives, obedience, love). Paul warns that some people’s works will not endure: “If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames” (1 Cor. 3:12–15). Many will stand before God with impressive ministries, large projects, and widespread influence, only to see their work consumed by fire because the motive or manner was wrong. The question is not only how much we have done, but why and how we have done it. Did we serve God out of love, or for self-glory, recognition, or personal gain? Were we seeking to build God’s kingdom, or our own name and reputation? Did we care about faithfulness and obedience to God’s specific leading, or just apparent “success” by worldly standards? Not all “good works” are acts of pure obedience flowing from love. Some labor for their own gain, some for human praise, and others to build a personal legacy rather than to genuinely glorify God. STORY TO ILLUSTRATE: MOTIVES Imagine two people donating a large sum of money to a charity. The first person donates anonymously, out of a genuine compassion for the needy and a desire to honor God with their resources. Their heart is pure. The second person donates the same amount but ensures there’s a press release, a plaque with their name, and a public ceremony. Their primary motivation is the recognition, the prestige, and the good PR it will bring their business. Both actions (the donation) appear outwardly good and benefit the charity. However, in the eyes of God, who sees the heart, the quality of these two acts is vastly different. One is “gold,” built from love; the other might be “wood” or “hay,” built from selfish ambition. 3. Serving God for the Right Reasons As believers, our work must be motivated by love for God and love for others. Paul reminds us: “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing” (1 Cor. 13:1–3). Without love for God as the driving force, all our labor, sacrifice, and achievements amount to nothing in His eternal economy. God is not primarily impressed by our sacrifices, our success, or our influence—He looks at our hearts. “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7b). A true Christian worker serves whether or not anyone notices. Whether recognized or hidden, whether praised or ignored, they serve because they love God and are compelled by His love. 4. A Warning Against Seeking Human Approval Some pursue ministry or Christian service to gain recognition or approval from people, but Jesus warns against this: “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Matt. 6:1). He goes on to speak about giving, praying, and fasting in secret, concluding: “Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matt. 6:4b, 6b, 18b). If we serve for applause, for approval, or for recognition from others, we receive our “reward” in full from them, forfeiting the eternal reward from God. True servants of Christ are content with pleasing Him alone. 5. The Only Motivation We Need: Love for God “But the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits” (Dan. 11:32b KJV). A Christian who truly knows God and loves Him needs no external, worldly motivation to serve. Love for God is enough. When we love God: We serve Him joyfully, not grudgingly (Ps. 100:2). We obey Him, even when it is costly (John 14:15). We continue in the work, even when no one sees or appreciates it. We prioritize faithfulness over apparent success. Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” three times before He commanded him, “Feed my sheep” (John 21:15–17). The foundation of all acceptable and enduring service must be a deep, personal love for God. 6. A Final Challenge: Examine Your Heart This book sounds an alarm: Let us examine our motives. We must not assume that all Christian activity, even impressive activity, is pleasing to God. We must constantly ask ourselves: Am I serving for my own benefit (ego, reputation, comfort) or for God’s glory? Do I seek praise from people or approval from God? Am I building God’s kingdom or my own little empire? Do I serve primarily because I love God, or because I want to be seen, to feel important, or to meet an expectation? Jesus warns: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matt. 7:21–23). The term evildoers here can refer to those who practiced lawlessness, perhaps meaning they operated outside of a genuine relationship with Him and His will, despite using His name. There will be many who worked in His name but did not truly know Him or serve Him from a heart of pure love and obedience. Let us not be among them. Let everything we do flow from a genuine love for Christ. Whether great or small, seen or unseen, let our hearts declare: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Col. 3:23–24). For God alone is our ultimate reward. APPLICATION: MOTIVES IN OBEDIENCE God is more concerned with the “why” behind our actions than just the “what.” Our motives determine the true quality and acceptability of our service and obedience. Prioritization: In God’s eyes, what is more important: what I do (the outward act of service or obedience) or why I do it (the motive of my heart)? How do these two relate? “But Samuel replied: ‘Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams’” (1 Sam. 15:22). Obedience here implies a heart rightly postured toward God. Conviction and Reward: Can you recall a time in your Christian walk or service when you felt convicted that your motive was perhaps more about seeking human approval or personal satisfaction than purely loving and obeying God? How did Jesus’s words in Matthew 6:1–5 (“they have received their reward in full”) speak to you in that situation or as you reflect on it now? Heart Check: What practical steps can you take regularly to examine your motives in serving God and ensure they are rooted in love for Him rather than selfish ambition or the desire for human praise? DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 11 1. Why is it possible for someone to do “great works” in Jesus’s name (like prophesying, casting out demons, performing miracles) and yet still hear Him say, “I never knew you”? What does “knowing Jesus” imply in this context? 2. How can a believer distinguish between a healthy desire to do their best for God and an unhealthy ambition driven by ego or the need for recognition? 3. Paul rejoiced that Christ was preached even from false motives (Phil. 1:18), yet he also warned about work being burned up if not built with right materials/motives (1 Cor. 3:12–15). How do we reconcile these two perspectives? What is the primary concern in each passage? ---------- KGM School of Service — Knowing God Missions · Tumenyimana https://kgm-school-preview.netlify.app