The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?
Proverbs 20:4-5 (ESV)
What motivates you? What stimulates your imagination and inspires your day? Each of us sets priorities and motives for the things we say and do. Some motives are profound, maybe even beautiful. While others are simply instinctual or natural. There are, of course, motivations that spring from our base desires and worst carnal impulses. But there are also spiritual and divinely noble purposes. Some motivations we cultivate through discipline and practice. While others might develop in our sub-conscious and are bred into us or manipulated by circumstances. Our daily choices and actions, thoughts and opinions shape who and what we are. The things that motivate us reveal our character and virtue while informing others of our priorities.
What about ulterior motives? These are the primary, albeit concealed, reasons for our behavior. We say we’re doing something for said reason, but deep down, there’s a separate purpose altogether. Someone who is less than honest, we say has ulterior motives. Often, ulterior motives come from fear, anger, selfish ambition, or even criminal intent. Whether we are aware of it or not, the vast majority of us exercise ulterior motives every day. We say we’re motivated by one intention and even act accordingly, but the deeper reality tells a different story altogether.
In the book of Proverbs, we learn a great deal about why we act the way we do. We discover that the motives of our heart and purposes behind our actions are like a deep well, such as one might lower a bucket to bring up water. To fully understand the motives and purposes of our hearts requires divine wisdom and understanding. Our base desires and perversions direct the majority of our daily actions. As verse five instructs, “Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?” We might say and even believe one thing, but the majority of our actions speak to the contrary. We say “I love you,” for example, and in our heart of hearts, believe that we truly do. Yet our lack of faithfulness, perseverance, honest giving, and forgiveness prove we’re mostly just big talkers. Our love, at best, is tainted and corrupt. However, a man who speaks the truth from a sincerely purified heart is a rare thing indeed.
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”
Jeremiah 17:9-10 (ESV)
Let us consider this truth a little deeper. The heart, Jeremiah says, remains by far the most deceitful thing…ever! This means there’s no politician, criminal, spoiled brat, or fanatic dictator more deceitful than your very own heart. A sobering thought. It means all our noble ideals, service for others, love of family, sense of duty and honor are really just figments of our deceitful imaginations. As we are reminded in Psalms 36:2, “…they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin.” We often see this play out in interpersonal relationships. This is when ulterior motives can sting the most. There are those moments when the mask unexpectedly drops. Either we discover the another’s true intentions or our own secret motives are displayed. A glimpse into our sickened hearts can be quite disconcerting. Suddenly, a relationship we once trusted is revealed to no longer be founded on love or genuine care, but instead shown to be inexplicably selfish at its core. “What do I get from you?” comes the honest gripe, and we see the true motivation behind the lies and tactics. All the envy, jealousy, and ulterior motives come oozing out. When we want something but are unable to get it, then the cover is blown. Tragically, reconciliation becomes very difficult barring true repentance and change. Two who were once close are now separated because the deep motives were exposed as impure.
Unless we’ve allowed God to thoroughly search our hearts and test our minds, we remain fully deceived. The motives that dictate our lives are corrupt and putrid. No matter how much we protest or seek to justify our so-called good intentions with defensive talk and even scripture, the heart remains deceitful above all things. Until we are truly crucified with Christ, we and our motivations are still very much alive. The Old Testament prophet warns us that our hearts are “desperately sick,” and looking around, it’s not hard to observe the carnage. The ulterior or core motive of everything we do, say, and believe is diseased. It’s inexplicable, and God alone is capable of interpreting the depths of our hellish hearts.
Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
Psalms 139:23-24 (ESV)
This scripture in the Psalms grants us the cure. If God alone knows the secret motives of your heart, then He alone can break your heart. It remains our part to pray this Psalm with as much humility as we can possibly muster. Be warned, however, once you allow God to search your heart in this manner, you will gain a glimpse into the darkest pit you’ve ever seen. The Holy Spirit will begin to draw out the black waters you have used to cover your sin for years. All the hidden motivations, traitorous idolatry, and twisted doctrines that comfort you will be stripped away. The Holy Spirit will bring back to your memory all the murderous thoughts and demented perversions that have infiltrated your mind. He will test you to see what wickedness lies dormant, and once He has shown you who you really are, then the crucifixion can really begin.
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;..
1 Peter 1:22-23 (ESV)
In order for the deep motives of our hearts to be made clean, we must endeavor to obey the truth found in the word of God. What I’m talking about is not some one-time event of praying for better motives or intentions. Rather, it’s a daily, intentional and purposeful act of picking up a cross which promises to put to death all the secret thoughts and selfish motives that lie deep in your heart. It requires effort, obedience, and perseverance to undo the horror of our selfish justifications. Let Christ do what He came to do. Don’t claim the blessings without going into strict cross-training. Resist the urge to justify your good intentions to avoid crucifying your carnal motivations. Above all, plead with God to search your heart that He might empty all of you to make ready for His divine purpose, and His alone. Then, and only then, will your motives be sincere and purified for the good work He has called you to. Only by yielding to the truth in all things will our fellowship with one another be restored and the sincerity of our motives be purified to the glory of Christ Jesus.