What is my motive?
by Faye Schmidt
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Was it really for me that you fasted? And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves? (Zechariah 7:5,6).
It is not that long ago that we celebrated Christmas, the coming of God to our world to live among us and fulfil the promise of salvation for all. For many people, it was an opportunity to enjoy food and drink beyond the everyday to mark the celebration.
We are also approaching the season of Lent, a time when many Christians practise fasting in some form, often by denying themselves a usual practice or enjoyment of a particular food or drink.
Our text today asks us to examine the motive behind our actions. Why do it?
When gathered around the table at the Christmas feast, were our thoughts on God and his bounteous gift to us through his Son? Or were we more thankful for being with our family and friends and for the food and drink as ends in themselves? Did all thoughts of God and Christ’s birth vanish from our minds the minute we left church that morning and rushed home to make sure the food was ready and the drinks were cooling on the ice?
Likewise, with any Lenten discipline we may put in place, is it truly a means of devotion that aids in keeping our focus on the journey to the cross, or is it merely something we do to show others our piety?
Any action we take to celebrate Christ’s presence in our life or in devotion and worship is pleasing to God. But if we do it to receive ‘brownie points’ from God to be rewarded somehow, we do it for ourselves and not God. We are charged to ‘pray, praise and give thanks’. Salvation from our sins does not come from our works. That is God’s gift to us by his grace through Christ’s death and resurrection – a wondrous gift indeed.
O Lord, please send your Holy Spirit to dwell in me so that I may praise and worship you in thankfulness for your gift of grace in love through all my actions. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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