Motives

I recently attended a large women's conference (me and over 8000 of my closest friends!), and I marveled at the variety of reasons women attended.

• "I love getaways with my girlfriends!"
• "I've been looking forward to this night away from my family for weeks. I need a little "recharge."
• "I'm most excited about serving. I want to encourage other women."
• "I came because my mom bought me a ticket."
• "I want to hear God's Word."
• "I wouldn't miss an opportunity to hear this speaker!"

What motivates you to attend a conference or other event? What about worship services, small group study, service day?

My motivations aren't always pure. There are Sunday mornings when I go to church because it's habit, not because I have an insatiable hunger to praise and worship God. Go ahead and judge me. I'll take my confession another step and admit I've probably judged you, too. I've thought, "Why would someone come to a women's conference just to see another woman, who humbly wants to reflect God, and hope...just hope...to get close." Yes, I've judged you.

Well, let me just say God puts me in my place. (Do I hear an Amen?) It would be great for our motives to be pure, so that anytime we're going to worship, learn, discuss, or serve, we're stepping forward with an intense desire to move closer to God. But our motives aren't always pure. As humans, our motives are rarely pure.

Praise God, he'll meet me just where I am. He knows my motives. He knows my baggage. He knows my hesitations, and he knows my passions. Not only does he meet me where I am, he actually uses exactly where I am to challenge and encourage me to most.

But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. - Philippians 1:18 (NLT)

Your motives can't change who God is. Your attitude can't change who Jesus is. Your baggage can't change the truth of God's Word. God is God. He's going to move in your life...starting right where you are. I want to have the best motives possible, but I'm going to stand firm on the fact that whether my motives are false or genuine, I will rejoice in the message of Christ.

And as for my opinion of your motives...I stand convicted and corrected. Whether your motives are false or genuine isn't for me to decide. I'll rejoice in the message of Christ and pray the same for you!


...For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance. - Philippians 1:19 (NLT)