THE HIDDEN REASONS WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO : MOTIVES 6
Blessings to you
today I believe all is well with you and your loved ones. I love the truth that
the Holy Bible has answers to every queries of life. The Bible is God’s love
letter to us to help us while we are navigating through life as believers
living in the world but not of this world; thank God He hasn't left us without
giving us the manual that shows us how to go from A to B.
2 Tim
3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true
and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are
wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God
uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
There are certain places in God’s words that He shows us
how to handle issues relating with on how to do things and
why we do things. The following are some of such examples:
Matthew
6:1-4 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.2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites
do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their
acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they
will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left
hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees
everything, will reward you.
Isaiah 1:11-15, What
makes you think I want all your sacrifices?”
says the Lord.
“I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of fattened cattle.
I get no pleasure from the blood
of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 When you come to worship me,
who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony?
says the Lord.
“I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of fattened cattle.
I get no pleasure from the blood
of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 When you come to worship me,
who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony?
13 Stop
bringing me your meaningless gifts;
the incense of your offerings disgusts me!
As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath
and your special days for fasting—
they are all sinful and false.
I want no more of your pious meetings.
14 I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals.
They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them!
15 When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look.
Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen,
for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims.
the incense of your offerings disgusts me!
As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath
and your special days for fasting—
they are all sinful and false.
I want no more of your pious meetings.
14 I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals.
They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them!
15 When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look.
Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen,
for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims.
Is 58:3-7 ‘We have fasted
before you!’ they say.
‘Why aren't you impressed?
We have been very hard on ourselves,
and you don’t even notice it!’
‘Why aren't you impressed?
We have been very hard on ourselves,
and you don’t even notice it!’
“I will tell you why!” I respond.
“It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves.
Even while you fast,
you keep oppressing your workers.
4 What good is fasting
“It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves.
Even while you fast,
you keep oppressing your workers.
4 What good is fasting
This kind of fasting
will never get you anywhere with me.
5 You humble yourselves
by going through the motions of penance,
will never get you anywhere with me.
5 You humble yourselves
by going through the motions of penance,
bowing your heads
like reeds bending in the wind.
You dress in burlap
and cover yourselves with ashes.
Is this what you call fasting?
Do you really think this will please the Lord?
like reeds bending in the wind.
You dress in burlap
and cover yourselves with ashes.
Is this what you call fasting?
Do you really think this will please the Lord?
6 “No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free,
and remove the chains that bind people.
7 Share your food with the hungry,
and give shelter to the homeless.
Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free,
and remove the chains that bind people.
7 Share your food with the hungry,
and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them,
and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
God rebuked the Israelites on how they
were offering their sacrifices, fasting and praying not with the right motive
of repentance /humility but with hypocrisy and pride. He also mentioned the
type of fasting that is acceptable to him and that He is more interested in how
we walk in love with one another, share our stuffs with the hungry and the
homeless.
Isaiah
29:13 And so the
Lord says,
“These people say they are mine.
“These people say they are mine.
They honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
And their worship of me
but their hearts are far from me.
And their worship of me
is nothing but man-made rules
learned by rote.
God was not happy for they were not
drawing near to God with their whole heart but just with lip service.In
i the whole book of Amos 4, God rebuked the people for their disobedient acts and
called them to repentance in Amos 5 :14-15 Do what is good and run from evil
Then the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will be
your helper,
just as you have claimed.
15 Hate evil and love what is good;
turn your courts into true halls of justice.
Perhaps even yet the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.
will have mercy on the remnant of his people
just as you have claimed.
15 Hate evil and love what is good;
turn your courts into true halls of justice.
Perhaps even yet the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.
will have mercy on the remnant of his people
5. Jesus rebuked the disciples for
criticizing the women with the alabaster Jar of perfume .Matt 26:6-13 Meanwhile,
Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had
leprosy.7 While he was eating, a woman came in with a
beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head.
8 The
disciples were indignant when they saw this. “What a waste!” they said. 9 “It
could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”
10 But
Jesus, aware of this, replied, “Why criticize this woman for doing such a
good thing to me?11 You will always have the poor among
you, but you will not always have me. 12 She has
poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. 13 I
tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world,
this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”
All these examples show us that sometimes what we think matters to
God are not those things that matter. God is love and love is God so whenever
we are doing whatever we are doing outside of love, we are not showing His love
to others. In his love for us all he requires and expects of us is true genuine
repentance in our walk with him , walking in love in our motives, intentions
and actions in our walk with others and meeting
the needs of the less privileged.
Have a great Weekend and see you all with
more nuggets next week.
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