Watch out for worldly motives…

All I did was enter a store looking for something attractive to hang on our front door. The wreaths looked cheap and they didn’t have much else for doors, but the rest of the store had all sorts of nice things. I walked about and looked and touched and began to feel covetous. I could have bought whatever appealed to my eyes but held back and left the store. Now I realize what held me back:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15–17)

It was not the nice stuff, but deeper. My motive for wanting what I saw was definitely a worldly ‘desire of the eyes and pride of life’ and the Lord would not let me stay in that place. Today’s devotional addresses this issue and shows me how easily I can be side-tracked. It says (and I personalize it)…

Anything cherished in my heart contrary to the will of God, whether it seems insignificant or deeply hidden, will cause me to fall (or rob me from God’s joy)… any self-seeking… any doubtful habits or surroundings… consciously indulged, will effectually cripple and paralyze my spiritual life… I may wonder and question and despair and pray. Nothing will do any good until the wrong thing is dug up from its hiding place, brought out to the light, and laid before God. The moment, therefore, that I meet with a defeat, I must at once seek for the cause, some hidden want of consecration… Just as a headache is not the disease itself but only a symptom of a disease situated in some other part of the body, so my loss of joy is only the symptom of an sin hidden in… my nature.

I’ve wanted nice things before but not lately. The Spirit shows me that this attempt to a nice door ornament was motivated by a desire to impress our neighbors (long story behind that) and God gave me a sharp rap in my emotions to tell me again that the action may be fine, but if the motivation is not godly, then the actions are not acceptable either.

Besides the loss of joy, all the concerns I’ve been praying about seemed bigger, despite good news concerning several of them. I simply could not see the Lord at work and only gloom and doom.

PRAY: Jesus, I’m thankful You have established in my heart the importance of keeping short accounts with You. This shopping attempt didn’t seem a big deal at the time, and it wasn’t, but being motivated by the desire for all the nice things I could see and satisfying my pride is not from You. I confess this, knowing You forgive and cleanse. Thank You for such amazing grace.