MOTIVE MATTERS
“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”-– Col. 3:23
If confession is good for the soul, I’m about to do myself a world of good. During the course of my ministry there have been times when I did things only because I was the pastor. It was expected of me and the right thing to do. I did it although I didn’t really want to, and had I not been the pastor I probably wouldn’t have done it. Others couldn’t tell, but God and I knew the truth. Yes, I’m ashamed of myself, but I would be more ashamed if I pretended it never happened.
There have been times when I’ve dealt with unpleasant people, refrained from saying something, done a good deed, and resisted resigning just because I was the pastor– not because I wanted to. I did the right thing, but I had the wrong motive. I’m glad I did what was right, but I wish I had done so for the right reason. Don’t misunderstand, doing something because you are the pastor is a good motive — there are certain expectations associated with the office, but there is a higher motive. I should have been compelled by love rather than a job description, or the opinion of others. I’ve tried to learn from my failures and improve my attitude, but I would be lying if I said I’ve totally mastered my motives. I’m still working on me and it’s a lifetime project.
I can’t change the past, but I hope my failure in this area will help me succeed in another. Hopefully my failure will help me to be more patient and understanding with folks who fail to do what they should. Sometimes what they do is no worse than what I would have done had I not been the pastor. This also makes me more thankful for those who do what they should even though they are not a pastor. They simply do it out of love for the Lord, which is what we all should do. The fact that we are Christians should motive us to do the right thing, the right way, for the right reason. We ought to do what we do out of love, for God’s glory, and with joy. God help us– it ain’t always easy! – HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
