Psalm 51:10-12
Create pure thoughts in me and make me faithful again. Don't chase me away from you or take your Holy Spirit away from me. Make me as happy as you did when you saved me; make me want to obey!
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I’ve never personally used a GPS navigational system, but I know others who have… with mixed results. I know people who meant to go to one address, but because they didn’t enter the word “avenue” or “drive”, they actually were directed to another location. Their objective was not clear enough.
Objectives and motives are often closely related. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about motives. Let’s be honest, there is a motive behind pretty much everything we do. Sometimes our motives are pure… but often, they miss the mark. We’re pretty selfish, self-centered people… and more times than we want to admit, we ask, “What’s in this for me?” I’m afraid we actually ask God this, too… “Father, if I serve you… what will I get in return?”
We must stay vigilant in examining our motives for everything. Why do we want to belong to a certain group… friends, clubs, teams, churches? What are our motives? Are they ours alone… or are we following God’s lead? Are our hearts pure and faithful?
As I reflect on some of the decisions I have made, I can see that my motives have sometimes been selfish. But the more I learn to lean on God and trust His plans for my life, the more I see when I am headed in the wrong direction. I am able to pull back and say, “Wait a minute! Lord… show me where to correct my navigation and get back on the right track! Create in me a pure, clean heart that serves your motives and objectives… not my own.”
If you are feeling a little like God has chased you away lately, maybe your objectives and motives are not as pure as they ought to be. Maybe you have put the wrong “information” into your heart’s “navigational system.” Ask God to help you to make the necessary corrections. Feel His presence and the joy that comes from knowing you are headed in the right direction… and HE is serving as your personal navigator.
©2011 Debbie Robus
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