Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
During the course of this month, we will be looking at the various facets of God’s Divine Righteousness. Last week we studied His consistent faithfulness using Joseph’s story as a case study.
We saw how God demonstrated His faithfulness to His covenant, working through human actions—both good and evil—to achieve His righteous purposes. We discussed His righteousness, how we can
obtain His righteousness, how we can maintain our own righteousness, the benefits we derive from His righteousness, and finally, the important connection that exists between, God’s righteousness and His faithfulness. In today’s study, still using Joseph’s story as a case study, we will consider how important our motives are to the Righteous One, and what the consequences may be as a result of our motives.

MOTIVE
Motive is the reason (the underlying intentions) behind all of our actions. The interesting thing about motive is that it reflects the true state of a person's heart. To God, our motives count more than our actions, that is why He does not look at the outward displays we showcase, but our hearts. (1 Samuel 16:7)
God examines the motives of our hearts and holds us accountable for them. Proverbs 16:2 says, "All a person's ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord." This shows that even if actions seem right to others, God judges the underlying reasons.

As we walk with God, this must be foremost in our hearts! That Our actions should flow from a heart that is aligned with God’s will, full of love and sincerity, rather than from a desire to merely fulfill obligations, for show, or simply to “appear” righteous.
Last week we learnt the different ways we could obtain righteousness. But we should know that apart
from the righteousness the Lord inputs in us, there is the “show of righteousness”, an external compliance that people put on too. This was addressed by Jesus in Matthew 15:8 "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."

DISCUSSION
Now, let’s return to Jospeh’s account in the Bible. The dreams of Joseph as we see in this scripture (Gen. 37:5-11) tells us the blessings his father, Jacob received from Isaac in (Gen. 27:22-29), was to be transferred to him.

Questions
• What do you reckon to be Jospeh’s motive for sharing his dreams?
• Was Joseph proud? In what way?
• Did he “learn humility” by the things he suffered? (Hebrews 5:8)
• Did he have to share his dreams with anyone?
• Could Joseph have become prime minister of Egypt without being sold into slavery?
• What lessons can we learn from Joseph’s account?

Why do we do the things we do? And say the things we say?
Are we genuine, or driven by ignorance, foolishness, pride, jealousy or naivety?

BENEFITS/CONSEQUENCES DERIVED FROM OUR MOTIVES
1. The Blessing of Strengthened Relationship with God: (Matthew 5:8) "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." To be "pure in heart" means our motives are genuine, and unselfish, thus allowing us to have a true relationship with God.

2. Reward According to Our Conducts (Jeremiah 17:10) “"I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve." Despite the actions (conducts), God’s reward is based on what we have in our hearts and minds. You can’t con Him!

Let’s look at some examples
a. Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11): In the early days of the Christian church, believers would sell their land or property and donate the proceeds to the apostles, who would then distribute it according to need. They sold their land and secretly kept back part of the money for themselves. If only they had told the truth, they would not have died, but their motive was to deceive the apostles.

3. Vindication by God. (1 Corinthians 4:5) “"He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God." We could be misunderstood or criticized by others, but if our motives are right (pure), God will vindicate us in due season.

Let’s look at three examples in the Bible.
a. Joseph: Was sold into slavery by his brothers and then falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife of trying to seduce her, leading to his imprisonment (Genesis 39). Despite these injustices, Joseph remained faithful to God. And God vindicated him by elevating him to the position of second-in-command in Egypt.
b. Daniel: Thrown into the lion’s den because envious colleagues wanted to get rid of him, but he was a genuine seeker of God and unwaveringly committed to prayer (Daniel 6). God vindicated him by shutting the mouths of the lions, sparing his life. King Darius then decreed that all should fear and reverence Daniel’s God (Daniel 6:25-28).
c. Mordecai: Targeted for death by Haman, a high official who resented Mordecai’s refusal to bow to him (Esther 3-7). God vindicated Mordecai by orchestrating events such that Haman was hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai, and Mordecai was promoted to a position of honor (Esther 8:1-2).

HOW DO WE ENSURE OUR MOTIVES ARE RIGHT?
The Bible in Jeremiah 17:9 says: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” This implies that if we leave our hearts “alone” the natural tendency is deception and wickedness. That is why ensuring our motives are right requires a deliberate and conscious effort of aligning our hearts and intentions with God’s will.

We can achieve this by:
a. Prayers: Regularly ask the Lord to examine your heart and reveal any wrong motives. Psalm 139:23-24 says, "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

b. Meditating on God’s Words Daily: The Bible is the most powerful tool for discerning our motives. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

c. Humility: The practice of humility helps us recognize our dependence on God and prevents pride or selfishness from corrupting our motives. Philippians 2:3 says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves."

d. Focusing on Pleasing God, Not People: Make a conscious effort to prioritize God’s approval over human recognition. Galatians 1:10 says, "Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ."

e. Being Quick to Repent: Don’t ignore or justify wrong motives instead, confess them to God, seek His forgiveness, and ask for the help of the Holy Spirit in cultivating pure motives. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

f. Letting Love Be Your Driving Force: Love for God and love for others naturally leads to pure motives. With genuine love (1 Cor. 13), you can never go wrong! 1 Corinthians 16:14 says, "Do everything in love."

CONCLUSION
As we walk with the Lord, we must be reminded that God sees the true intentions of our hearts, and to Him, that is what matters the most. That is why we must be honest in our intentions and be guided by integrity and sincerity of heart.