More on Motives

Ok, I have some additional thoughts concerning yesterday’s post about motives. With clean motives and a pure heart you don’t need to worry about means and opportunity however, what do you do if your heart isn’t pure? What is one to do when dealing with unclean motives?

We all have the responsibility of dealing with our own motives, clean or unclean. Some of us have the responsibility of contending with the motives of others. Parents have this responsibility over their children, employers can have it when dealing with their employees and sometimes pastors have this responsibility with the members of their churches.

The natural inclination when contending with another’s perceived impure motives is to place restrictions on their means and opportunities. This works easily when a parent is dealing with their children and it can even work fairly well in the employer employee relationship. It gets more difficult however, when the authority structure of the relationship is less defined or enforceable. How much clout does a brother, sister, pastor or a friend really have in the life of another person? Honestly, only as much as they give you.

It’s very easy to get yourself in trouble when judging the motives of another person’s heart. Honestly, how can you really know for sure? I’ve found it is best to just leave it in God’s hands. It’s not my job to judge, even if I do have the responsibility of dealing with the consequences.

If I see a problem and I’m concerned, I can always pray. I can even discuss my concerns with the person. Beyond that, there really isn’t much I can do. If I’ve discerned correctly and my counsel goes unheeded, I’ll have an opportunity to love on that person in the midst of their consequences. If I’m wrong, I’ve saved a friendship by withholding judgment. I’ve learned the hard way that when I misjudge someone it will cost me dearly. Jesus put it this way in John chapter 8:

"Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her."

I think I’ll just leave my stones on the ground and keep my hands in my pockets.

© Tom Zawacki 2006