“Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7

Works are what the world sees. Scripture is clear that we will be judged by our deeds so we must be very careful about how we live. However, works done that seem to be good but come from the wrong motives profit us nothing.

To change our actions, we must change our motives. The question becomes how do we do that? Are we supposed to conjure up emotions and reasons why we should do what we do? Any change in our heart is done by the work of Spirit. Therefore, I don’t think this is something man can do on his own.

So, what is the solution? Motives are the root of our actions, but what is the root of our motives? I would say that the root of why we do what we do comes from what we believe and have faith in. What we put our trust in is the root of our motives. Therefore, the way to change the motives of our heart is to change what we believe in.

God’s word consists of principles to live by and promises to trust in. If we truly want to examine our hearts and change our motives, then we must look at what we believe to be true and test those beliefs against scripture. Scripture is the basis for our beliefs, motives, and actions. Any belief that we have should be backed up by scripture, end of story. We must live our lives according to scripture and nothing else. This is truly a matter of life and death and if we don’t see it like that, the Bible is useless to us.

Once our beliefs are aligned with God’s word, then we will begin to see our motives change and then our actions. What we trust in is what we are ultimately going to seek. If we trust in any worldly system, then that is what we will go after. If we trust in God, then we will go after Him.

In conclusion, seeking God is about examining our beliefs and the reasons behind what we do. The focus is primarily internal, not external. Once we clean the inside of the cup, the outside will take care of itself.

Be encouraged.

-Phil