So long as I do what is right, what difference do my motives make?

1 Chronicles 29:17I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there. You know I have done all this with good motives, and I have watched your people offer their gifts willingly and joyously.

Proverbs 20:27The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive.

Our motives are very important to God. The condition of a person’s heart is reflected in the motives that drive our actions. And only motives shaped by unselfish love can enable us to have a true relationship with God.

Genesis 4:4-5Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.

Proverbs 21:27The sacrifice of an evil person is detestable, especially when it is offered with wrong motives.

Cain’s sacrifice probably was regarded as inappropriate because his motives were impure. When our motives are selfish, even seemingly right behavior fails to bring us favor in God’s eyes.

1 Chronicles 21:2, 7So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, “Take a census of all the people of Israel . . . and bring me a report so I may know how many there are.” . . . God was very displeased with the census, and he punished Israel for it.

David’s motive for taking the census was probably to see how powerful he had become, and that was what displeased God. Even a seemingly harmless decision, when made with an improper motive, can become personally destructive.

Matthew 6:1“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.”

When we pursue what appears to be a spiritual action with self-serving motives, we rob ourselves of the joy God intends for us.

1 Samuel 16:7The Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

God is more concerned about our motives than our appearances or outward actions because our motives determine what is in our hearts.

James 4:3Even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

Wrong motives hinder our prayers when selfishness is behind our requests.