CHECKING YOUR MOTIVES

1 Thessalonians 2:1-6
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

Paul Remembers His Visit

1 You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a failure. 2 You know how badly we had been treated at Philippi just before we came to you and how much we suffered there. Yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition. 3 So you can see we were not preaching with any deceit or impure motives or trickery.

4 For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. 5 Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know. And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money! 6 As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or anyone else.


It would have been OK with me Lord, not to have to ponder this passage. It would have really been OK not to be reminded of those experiences in ministry which were very unpleasant.

Paul remembers being mistreated, suffering and facing great opposition for the cause of Christ. Unfortunately, as it is with life in the world, life in ministry sometimes carries with it trials and tribulations. The tribulations are not pleasant memories and Paul didn’t dwell on the negatives. He quickly reminded himself and his readers of the positives … “…approved by God … entrusted with the Good News … please God …”

Paul could keep going, despite the opposition, because his motives were pure. Anyone in any level or form of ministry, should periodically do a self evaluation … check your motives … for any sign that what you are doing is not pleasing to God. Quitting is not an option and neither is continuing with wrong motives. Correction … change … under the guidance of the Holy Spirit is the remedy for impure motives.