Motivation is important

One of our friends seemed driven to helping people. He admitted that he always felt like he needed to “do something” yet this attitude was affecting his health. I prayed that if something was awry, the Lord would intervene.

He did. I don’t know what, but the change is obvious. This man is settled, happier, listening to what the Lord wants done instead of being driven to help even those who don’t need help. When I read this verse today, I realized how the people of God can slide into thinking other than God wants us to think. 

To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work. (Titus 1:15–16)

While these words are for those in extreme denial, I can see that to the needy, all people are needy. If I am not trusting God, I cannot see spiritual truth well. If I am overcome by a sense of uselessness, I cannot imagine feeling adequate. If I slump into feeling too unworthy to be loved by God, I can be driven to prove my value. A good dose of the gospel changes that.

For some time, I had a sense of worthlessness and my ambition to ‘be valuable’ began to drive me to say YES at times when I should have said NO — not that the task didn’t need someone to do it, but my motive to ‘do something’ was selfish. This brings no glory to Christ.

One area where this came out was a deep desire to obey the following passage. At first, I didn’t notice that it was written to a pastor, but I did notice that few older women were doing it. My ambition was to change that.

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. (Titus 2:3–5)

But personal ambition is useless as well as dangerous. No one that I know of was changed by my efforts to change them. Eventually God showed me that His power is perfected in weakness, that my efforts were weak and useless, and I needed to seek Him for everything: writing this, doing daily chores, even stitching quilts, as well as talking to people, everything. Finally He gave me time with another older woman, a quiet and shy person, and behold, she is fulfilling this Titus 2 passage. 

I’m to live the gospel each day. It isn’t about personal ambition. Jesus isn’t using ‘driven’ people, only those filled with His Spirit and obedient to His voice.

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. (Titus 3:3–8)

Most of the time obedience is nothing lavish or even things I notice, but being Spirit-filled is not a self-aware condition. It is listening and being God-aware and devoted to glorifying Jesus Christ. For some, this happens sooner rather than taking years to learn how stubborn we humans can be.

And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful. (Titus 3:14)

PRAY: Lord, I had no idea this would be Your focus for me today. My to-do list is long, and You know how often I need reminding of the importance of abiding in You. Without You, I am nothing and the effort I put out must be at Your direction — not my self-focused ambitions.