Motives Are Everything

Motives are a funny thing. And if we aren’t careful, they can allow us to partner with pride, cause us to fall, or worse yet, cause the Bride of Christ to stumble.

I can clearly remember a time when my husband, John, and I were visiting another church. This establishment was so big that it featured a few overflow rooms to participate in when the main sanctuary was packed. On this particular Sunday, the pastor and his wife were making their rounds from one overflow room to another, and I perceived something quite strange.

When both the pastor and his wife walked through the hallways leading to each room, they were passive and standoffish toward one another. They weren’t talking or holding hands. Yet, as soon as they crossed the threshold of each entryway, their hands found one other, and they began talking in the room and offering smiles to those in their company.

And I was instantly reminded that Jesus warns us to be careful of our motives, especially when it comes to following Him.

Matthew 6:16-18 in The Passion Translation says, “When you fast, don’t look gloomy and pretend to be spiritual. They [religious leaders] want everyone to know they’re fasting, so they appear in public looking miserable and disheveled. Believe me, they’ve already received their reward. When you fast, don’t let it be obvious, but instead, wash your face and groom yourself and realize that your Father in the secret place is the one who is watching all that you do in secret and will continue to reward you.”

We must remember motives hold significant weight and are the why behind everything we do.

Why Motives Are Important

We have a Heavenly Father in heaven who looks at our inner man. He is constantly aware of our true inner thoughts and the reasons behind why we are doing something. Subsequently, He will judge and respond to that.

Yet, on the opposite side of the spectrum, we must remember that what we do in the secret place, He will reward us in the open.

Back in Biblical times, it was common for religious leaders to disfigure their faces during times of fasting by neglecting to wash or discoloring their faces by natural means of plants. Engaging in these practices caused people to notice them in their poor condition, often leaving them to ponder the terrible state they were in.

“Look at how bad they look! They must be fasting for God.”

“Goodness, you look disheveled. And your breath stinks.”

Can you imagine how it makes God look when you reap the physical attention and accolades while in the public eye?

Yikes.

Fasting is Between You and God

Recently, my husband and I took a trip to Seattle, Washington. While we were there, we took advantage of dining at the restaurant in the Space Needle, overlooking the city. We couldn’t help but notice the cutest elderly couple a table or two away from us. They were sitting there with a crowd nearby, and they were just so into one another.

You know the place in newer relationships where the very thought of sharing a space with your significant other flushes your cheeks? They were both glowing, and it was the cutest thing.

Shortly after noticing them, my husband leans over and asks, “What is the secret to the longevity of your marriage?”

The husband chuckled and replied, “That’s easy. She is right about everything!”

Boy, do I love that secret!

What I gleaned from this beautiful pair is that couples who honor each other stay together.

And the same applies to our relationship with God. When you take the time to fast, do so with respect to the Father and the secret place He has asked you to meet Him in. He sees it all anyways, so you can rest assured He will meet you and see you in that place.

Also, when you fast, take care not to look pitiful and over tired. If your fasting is authentic and straight from the heart, your words, behaviors, and responses will reflect that you have been with the Lord.

When you implement spiritual disciplines in your life, like this elderly couple, you will glow with a supernatural gleam. Your relationship with God will deepen, and you will be changed from the secret place of your spirit to the world around you.

Remember why you are fasting and Who you are fasting for, and all things will fall into place.