Your actual motives are hidden
Almost all people hold subconscious motives that drive how they think, feel, and act.1 These motives almost always work contrary to what they think they desire and why,2 and constantly rob them of the peace and effectiveness they might otherwise have in life. As such, it is vitally important to discover and improve your own motives.
We would like to assume that our motives are as plain as our works. Self-styled Christians like to think that you can judge a person by their fidelity to the short list of outward works they feel are important to practice or avoid.
It’s just not that simple. While Jesus did, in fact, instruct us to judge others by their fruits,3 he did not teach to do it in the way so many supposed Christians do. External works are not good or evil of themselves4 and can’t be judged without discovering the doer’s motive and understanding. For example, Jesus pointed out how the religious leaders during his life did things that seemed righteous but had evil motives,5 and how he did things that the religious people thought were evil, and yet had the purest of motives in doing so.6 The accuracy of self-judgment falls at least as short as judgment of others.
A person’s motives can only be refined inasmuch as they are plainly manifest, but when we hide our true beliefs and intent, we cut ourselves off from the corrective influence of reality and the improved outcomes improved aims would bring.
Footnotes
- 1. ...all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart. (Jeremiah 6:26) To have an uncircumcised heart is to be unaware of what you actually desire. ↩
- 2. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. (Mark 3:25) Can two walk together, except they be agreed? (Amos 3:3) ↩
- 3. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (Matthew 7:15-20) ↩
- 4. There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. (Mark 7:15-23) ↩
- 5. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. (Matthew 12:3435) ↩
- 6. And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? (Matthew 9:1-4) ↩