Everything we do, we do for a reason. There is a motive behind every human endeavour, even if it is not conscious or discernible. Often we think we are doing something purely for one reason when, in fact, there is another quite different motive at work. This is double-mindedness. You could do the most seemingly altruistic deed for completely selfish reasons. It is good to constantly ask yourself, why am I doing what I am doing? You might have some good motives there, but you will inevitably find some selfish motives. Once you start to examine yourself and dig down into your own heart you might begin to feel overwhelmed by how selfish you actually are. Don’t be discouraged by this though. We tend to resist finding out the truth about ourselves because it makes us feel unacceptable. Remember that your acceptability is based in God’s love for you. He knows how selfish we are and he still loves us intensely. He wants us to see our selfish motives, not to shame us and punish us, but to purify our hearts and set us free. So come into the light where you will see the dark side of your double-mindedness. Don’t be overwhelmed by your complexity. You are not expected to change yourself. Don’t even try to change your own heart. Draw near to God and submit all these things to him. Ask him to purify you. Learn to tune into his desires and learn to resist the constant temptation of the devil who wants to bog you down with onerous self-expectations. Walk in God’s grace one small step at a time.
Ask God to bring to light the motives of your heart.
Read James 4:7-8 and Proverbs 16:2
