Spirit or Self?

Who's it all about? Have you ever asked yourself that question? We have a terrible tendency in life to want to make things all about ourselves. Two years ago I rode my bike from Canada to Mexico, in order to raise funds to buy ultra sound machines for crisis pregnancy centers. There was a temptation to make it easier for me by using some of the funds raised to offset the cost of the trip. There was a temptation to seek publicity for what I was doing so that I could be recognized. By the grace of God I resisted those temptations. Nevertheless, the temptation for self-promotion is always present.

In my Word for Today reading I was reminded how Ananias and Sapphira gave into that temptation. They owned some land that they weren't using and decided to sell their land and give the proceeds to the church to help the poor. But their real motive was self-promotion. They gave only a portion of the proceeds but pretended to give it all. They wanted to look good before men and in process, lied to the Holy Spirit.

"Who's it all about?" is a good question to ask ourselves when we do good. If it's all about us, what other people think of us, how good we look to others, then our motives are false and our good works will not be pleasing to God. In fact, if we do good things at church in order to promote ourselves, the wrath of God may fall on us. It certainly did fall on Ananias and Sapphira, in a big way! They died on the spot!

In reality, all of us are sinners and all of us are a mixed bag of motivations at best. There is often a little bit of selfishness in even the most unselfish things we do. Thankfully, the grace of God in Jesus Christ covers over those sinful motivations, and by faith, God is pleased with the good things we do to serve Him and those in need. But when we realize that something good we do or some gift we give is really all about us, then we are in trouble. Then it's time to step back and examine our hearts to see if faith is alive.

If the Holy Spirit is at work in our hearts, whenever we recognize self-promotion in ourselves we will be grieved in our spirt and repent, seeking God's forgiveness. If self is at the center of our motives, however, we may make the same mistake that Ananias and Sapphira made in thinking they could lie to the Holy Spirit and get away with it.

So the next time you have opportunity to do good, examine your heart. Check your motivations. Ask yourself "Who's it all about?" If the answer is God, and the people He has called you to serve, then do it joyfully giving thanks for the opporunity to glorify God. If the answer is "Me!" then turn back to God in broken hearted repentance and ask Him to help you serve or give from a pure heart.