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Giving with our hand but not our heart is possible.

We can feel pretty good about the things we do, but we often do not understand why we do what we do. 

In my job, we often share workloads. When one person’s caseload is down, others are often asked to share their cases to keep that person working. Once, I was asked and gave away several cases. I did not want to lose them, but for the good of the project, I knew this was what I should do.

Once, I had medical bills and extra financial expenses that wiped out the funds I had put away for a rainy day. At the same time, the bottom dropped out of my workload. I was told there were some cases available for me to work, but then they were given to someone else.

I felt sorry for myself. I had given up my cases, but when I had a need, nothing was there for me.  If I had not given up my cases, I might not have been in this dilemma. I was on a downward spiral.

Until one morning when this verse hit me between the eyes. All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the Lord weighs the motives. God weighed my motives and found them wanting. What I had given with my hand, I now took back in my heart.

The universe does not revolve around me. God’s sovereign choices include my needs, but are not exclusive to them. Someone may have needed the cases more than me. Or God in His infinite wisdom assigned the work without regard to my need.

God has the right to choose as He pleases. God forgave me, but I thought and concluded before I saw it from His perspective. Purity of motive may only come when we first have the humility to admit we do not have it.

Develop a habit of weighing your motives.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)

(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)