REVELATION WORD - JOHN 6

MOTIVES

John chapter 6.

Please read it in its entirety before proceeding, you will get a better understanding.

Motives are very important. In everything that we do or say, we have a motive behind it. There is a reason for everything that we do.

When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we must ask ourselves, what our motive for coming to Christ. Why am I doing it?

When we pray, or go to church, or sing on the choir or even when we read the word, we should check our motives behind what we are doing. Before we venture out to do anything, we must ask ourselves WHY. Why am I doing this or that?

In John chapter 6, the people were looking all over for Jesus. They went to one shore and he was not there, so they went over to Capernaum, seeking Jesus and they found him on the other side of the sea.

Jesus said to them. John 6:26 “You seek me not because you saw the signs but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.” 

Right away Jesus saw the motives of their hearts. He knew that they were not looking for him because they believed in him or because of the signs and miracles that he did. They were looking for him because they had received from him physical food, bread, and fish. (John 6:1-14)They were not concerned about the works of Jesus they just wanted to fill their bellies. But Jesus said to them “Labor not for the food that perishes but for the food which endures to everlasting life which the Son of man will give you because God the Father has set His seal on HIM.” (John 6:27)

I am seeing many “believers”, claim that they have accepted Christ but they treat their relationship with the Lord just like an unbeliever. They only look for him or come to him in prayer when they need something or when disaster strikes. But as soon as everything is ok, they forget about the Lord who helped them in their time of trouble. When they receive their wealth, they forget about the Lord who gives them the power to get wealth. 

Deut 8: Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:

Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;  And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;  Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;

Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;

And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.

But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

I’ve seen Christians praying earnestly and if you listen to some of the prayers, you can discern their motives. It is not to do the will of God or to give God glory; their motives are selfish and self-seeking. But God says to “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” He says you pray and you have not because when you ask, you ask amiss for your own selfish gain.

Let’s follow the example of Jesus as he prayed in John 17. His prayer was not for himself. It was never going to benefit him. Jesus’ prayer was for those that believed on him then and those that were going to believe on him because of the disciples’ testimonies. That’s you and I.

When you and I come to the Lord or start a relationship with Jesus, we must check our motives as we pray. Certain things we don’t have to ask for because they are included in our salvation, like food, clothes, shelter, and money.

Therefore, I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Matthew 5:25

God gives us these things, freely and many times after we get them, we walk away and forget who He is and what He has done, until such time as we need him to get us out of a jam again or to feed us.

As we build our relationship with Christ, it is crucial that we constantly check our motives. Our reason for praying, is it just for a job, or a house, or some money and then when we have been filled; do we just walk away and forget about him until next time?

Checking our motives is not so that we can condemn ourselves. If our motives are not pure, allow the impurities to be revealed so that we can ask God to change our heart and make our motive pure. When our motives are pure, the Holy Spirit lines up our prayers with the will of God because we don’t even know completely what we should be praying for but the bible says in Romans 8:26 “Likewise the Spirit also helped our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  We must ask HIM to make our motives pure before His eyes so that HIS will is done in whatever the situation may be.

If we are doing something for the wrong reason, then we will get the result of our heart. (James 4:3) Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Sometimes we wonder why our prayers are not answered, it’s not that God didn’t hear our prayer, it’s that our motive or reason for desiring such things does not line up with the will of God and this is the will of God:-

John 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day.

And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Check your motives. It just might change your life.

And this is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent. Amen.