1 Timothy 1:5 – 5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
What are my motivations behind my actions? Maybe a more pressing question is “Do I even consider my motivations or do I only focus on the results?” Sometimes we focus so much on the results of our actions that we don’t stop to think about if they are motivated by love that issues from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. We know that a Christian should be kind so make sure we display kindness. We know that we are called to serve within our church with the gifts that God has given us for the building up of the body of Christ, so we do. The examples can go on and on. Do we stop to consider our heart in the serving or our heart behind our words or attitude or are we only concerned with the outward display of good works? Paul tells Timothy in the verse above that our charge is to do these things out of love. This love must have pure motives and done for the right reasons and, most importantly, come from a faith in Jesus Christ. If doing kindness, good works, or serving were the goal, we wouldn’t need Jesus to be a good Christian. But because a pure heart, a sincere faith, and a good conscience that produces love is the motivation required for doing those things, we absolutely need the grace of God working in our hearts, minds, and lives. We cannot do it ourselves. Something to think about…
Do I focus more on what a Christian should look like or on what the heart is behind a follower of Christ?