This is Joni and did you know that the heart is the source of all your motives?
Well, I'm no psychologist, I never studied psychology, but I do know what the Bible has to say about the heart and how it motivates us to do the things we do. For instance… have you ever prayed for someone only to remember, right in the middle of your intercession, that you left the laundry in the washing machine and so you make a quick mental note to retrieve it after your prayer time, but as you return to your intercession you can’t remember for whom you were interceding?!The whole incident unravels your concentration, and you abandon your prayer time feeling defeated.
In short, it wasn’t just a matter of being distracted; the truth is, your heart just wasn’t fully in the prayer. Proverbs 4 tells us that the heart is the wellspring of life; it’s the root that determines whether the fruit on the tree will be good or bad. The heart is our true self. That word “heart” appears in the Bible more than a thousand times, but at its core, at its most basic definition, the heart reflects our motives. And simply put, the heart’s root motivation is always “I want and I want it now.” I want to do the laundry rather than pray. I want more power and autonomy in my job. I want my family to respect me. I want Baskin-Robbins ice cream everyday of the week. By nature, the heart is selfish and it wants what it wants when it wants it. Basically, the heart is naturally in opposition to God. It says, "God, you demand too much of my time... God, you want me to be a doormat for others at my place of work... God, you can't really be ‘for me’ when you let my family talk to me this way... and finally, God, ice cream tastes a lot better than when I'm told to taste the Lord and see that He is good."
You know, personally speaking I know that I have to be constantly on guard, always watching my heart; it’s not to be trusted. I have to always be looking at my motives, asking myself, "Joni, would you want this? Why are you doing that? Why won't you obey here? And what do you hope to gain by getting that thing you desire?" There it is: the heart’s ever-present question is always "Whom will you follow, and worship, and trust?" Thomas Kelly from many centuries ago wrote, “The [heart] that intends to be wholly obedient, and wholly submissive, and wholly listening, is astonishing in its completeness. Its joys are ravishing, its peace is profound, and its humility the deepest.”
Psalm 86 is a good prayer for you and me today because it says, “Give me an undivided heart, that I might fear your name.” In other words, Lord, help my motives to be pure -- warn me when I get selfish and self-centered -- do this because I really desire to fear your name; I desire to worship and trust you above all else."
You know, to help you with this today -- and, boy, do we need help, our hearts need a lot of help! -- one of my favorite little books on the subject of the heart and our motives is written by an excellent Christian counselor, someone who has studied psychology, Dr. Edward Welch. He really gets down into the root of things and I know you would be helped by his insights (I know I have). I’d like to send you a copy of his book titled "Motives: Why Do I Do the Things I Do?" All you need to do is visit my webpage at joniandfriendsradio.org. Again that’s joniandfriendsradio.org for your free copy of Dr. Welch’s little booklet, " Motives: Why Do I Do the Things I Do?" Full-hearted commitment is no petty duty. Wholehearted devotion involves the best of your time and your heart. See you later, friend – until next time on Joni and Friends.
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