8.3.9 "Motives and Affections"

"Motives and Affections"

2 Chronicles 33:14 - 34:33
Romans 16:8-27
Psalm 26:1-12
Proverbs 20:19

Psalm 26:2 says, "Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind." (NIV) The Living Bible says, "Cross-examine me, O Lord, and see that this is so; test my motives and affections too."

I don't know if you've ever had someone come to help clean your house, or help decorate, but you learn some things about yourself in the process. You really appreciate the help until they start moving things you don't want moved. "Hey, wait a minute don't touch my singing fish plaque!"

As we discover and become who God has created us to be, we will go through a refining process. If we make this Psalm of David our prayer today, what comes to the surface? God desires to mold us, and that process can get interesting sometimes. In his leadership series, "The Vision of the Leader", Bruce Wilkinson speaks of 3 levels of refining that God does in us. The first is Conduct, the second is Character, and the third is Core.

In the same way we're more than willing to have someone dust and help with dishes, we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us to shape our Conduct. We agreeably allow him to change our talk, and our behaviors that we know are not the way believers should talk and act.

Then we begin to allow him to work on our character. This is a deeper process, and we're not as moldable as we were with the conduct issues, but we know there's a need to be changed. It's been said "your character is who you are when no one is watching." This is where we begin to "be" Christians, instead of "doing" Christianity. It's the "walk the talk" stage. It's the next step in maturity. Character will ultimately reveal itself, and we need to prioritize the Lord shaping our character.

The next level of "house cleaning" is pretty intimate. It goes deeper than the conduct or character. No one may EVER see this part. This is the Core of who you are. This is your motives, affections and ambitions. This is your heart. It is the essence of your being. This is even more precious to you than the "singing fish". When your motives are challenged, it's very personal.

If Basic Christianity could be summed up in "doing the right thing", Maturity in Christ is "doing the right thing with the right motives." For example, I've enjoyed writing these DEVOs. But why am I doing it? Is it to look good to you? Is to try to impress you? Am I trying to sound smart? Am I trying to be more disciplined? Am I trying to cast vision? Even in doing "good" things, we have to allow God to refine the motives of doing them.

Apply this to your workplace, or a ministry your involved in, or your attitude toward an individual. Why are you concerned with proving your point? What are your motives? Are they pure? Have you noticed them changing?

This is where Psalm 26:2 comes in. "Test me God". This is an area that only the Lord can develop. There are times that our motives and affections are so deep we haven't even identified what our motives are. As we allow God to test them, he will mold them.

You know what? Many times people will NEVER see what God is doing in your motives and affections. They may notice down the road that you've become more "balanced", that you don't seem to fly off the handle... that you're not so attached to the singing fish.

This doesn't happen in a day. This is a process. Allow God in to test you. Allow the Spirit to refine you. What's interesting in all of us is that our maturity is revealed in stressful times. We may want people to evaluate our Christian maturity by what they see in us on a Sunday morning with our cute little outfit on, but it's actually more revealed in crisis, and challenge, and in a meeting that's going too long, and even when driving! THAT'S when the "true you" comes out.

God's got some work to do in me! "Purify my heart. Let me be as gold and precious silver... Refiner's fire, my heart's one desire is to be holy. I choose to be holy. Set apart for you Lord... ready to do your will."

As we allow God to do his work, we are more equipped to Live the DREAM. We are more equipped to walk in confident obedience.




Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

P Greg


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