October 2010

by Ramesh Richard

The quality of spiritual life and ministry leadership relates more to motives than performance. It is at the level of motives that we excel or fail, that we please God or ourselves, and all while obeying Scripture—whether worshiping God, serving people, sacrificing rights, even suffering for Christ. Our motives affect every dimension of spiritual life and ministry.

For example, why do you give to God? Because it’s commanded, and therefore a duty? Because it will be immediately rewarded, and therefore manipulative? Because it will make an impression on others, therefore prideful? Your motives for giving can become skewed, even sinful. If your motives aren’t right, it is possible to displease God while thinking we are pleasing Him!

Consequently, you and I face the problem of the bad (our motives) going after the good (God’s expectations). How may we match good motives with obedience? Here are three suggestions—written with good motives!

Consider your motives: Social and business psychology propose several theories as to what motivates change and brings satisfaction. Your needs, your drives, your goals become controlling motives for turning wish into action. Since humans are complex, these theories agree that unconscious motives control human behavior.

Fortunately it is possible to identify pure and poor motives, in a listing exercise. An ordinary two column chart with “good motives” and “bad motives” as headings will help you identify conscious and unconscious motives.

Good motives Bad motives
Pleasing God through serving Pleasing people through serving
Loving God through giving Obligating God through my giving


The problem however is that motives can’t be categorized so smoothly and evenly. Since we can’t even know our own deceitful hearts (Jer. 17:9), I want you to next engage in a powerful exercise in self-examination.

Clarify Your Motives: It is not possible to possess absolutely pure motives until you get to heaven. However, it is possible to keep bad motives from controlling your decisions, to have substantially pure motives.

I maintain that the first responsibility of a leader is “thinking,” and that of a Christian leader: prayerful thinking. During prayerful thought, carefully clarify your motives. Bring the motives you listed above under the searchlight of God’s Spirit (1) in the Scriptures and (2) from spiritual counsel (Psalm 139:23-24).

You can discern whether you are consumed by selfish or godly ambition. Such a clarifying process may mean you can’t pursue some opportunities quickly. It also means you leave open the possibility for your accountability counsel to say “no,” to your ideas. Share your thoughts and then listen for their take on your heart, for you place yourself under their spiritual authority for confirmation and timing. This apparently slow process will help you differentiate between random idea and true opportunity, between mere need and ministry mandate. When applying this “slow” process, I have seen it turned by God to accomplish much more than I can imagine, while being more sure of substantially pure motives. It helps me guard my heart-springs with all diligence (Prov. 4:23).

Cleanse your motives: I am not here raising the cleansing of guilt (which happens by confession of sin), but the cleansing of motives—an exercise in personal discernment. I have found the following distinctions helpful in reducing the conflict between good and bad motives, and to be more self-discerning in my obedience to God.

  • Short-term vs. Long-term: When short-term factors and long-term factors conflict, deliberately choose the long-term. Short-term thinking allows you to be flexible, but you can fall into expediency, even selfishness. Many economist-philosophers attribute our most recent economic crisis (recession to some, and depression to others) to a severe case of “short-termism.” It’s a myopic disease of living for the now, the present, the urgent, and the expedient. The long-term always lasts longer than the short-term, always!
  • Purpose and Result: No distinction clarifies my motives better than distinguishing purpose from result. When New Testament scholars come upon a particular Greek construction, they seek to know whether the author is expressing purpose or result. A case in point: the purpose of good works is not salvation, but the result of salvation is good works. The purpose of your giving is to honor God; and only the result may or may not bring immediate financial blessing on your life.
  • Source vs. Means: We are never the source of any thing. There is only one Source of all reality. We are the means that the Source uses as instruments in His economy. Discerning that we are the means keeps us from assuming or neglecting greater responsibility for results—poor motives.

I wish you well in the examination of clearer and cleaner motives before the One who sees the heart (I Sam. 16:7), who prefers we say “no” and do it; than say “yes” to make an impression on others, and not follow-through. Absolute good motives will wait till heaven, but you can pursue substantially good motives in life and ministry right now.