Motives Matter

‘Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. Open the eyes of my heart. I want to see You. I want to see You.’ Many of us have sung this brilliant Michael W Smith song in congregations worldwide or in the secret place of our quiet times yearning, hoping and praying to see the Lord. But as ever, Jesus throws a curve ball at us.

In today’s passage, we learn that if we want to see the Lord, it isn’t just about our desire, it’s also about our motives. To see the Lord, our hearts must be pure. Our wants, needs and desires must be free from selfish and impure motivations. I could easily write a list of wrong motives here but that would be too prescriptive and I would probably miss the bad motive that relates specifically to you. So instead, I will remind you that the work of the Holy Spirit includes convicting us of our sins.

If you are currently struggling to see God perhaps you need to ask him to convict you of your sin. To be honest, I think it is something we all need to do on a regular basis just as we regularly take a shower/bath.

Questions for reflection: Do I want to see God? What is the state of my heart? Are there any areas that the Lord needs to cleanse? Are my motives pure? Have I asked for the Lord to give me a pure heart?