Motive

“Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”- John 12:5

Every church board meeting brings out a wide variety of thoughts. There is rarely a project or ministry that doesn't lead to many ways to achieve the goal. An old joke says, for every three board members there are four opinions. But you will find, that at the heart of every proposal is motive.

In this passage of John we meet Mary and Judas. Mary is willing to expend an entire wealth of ointment to express her devotion and love. Judas suggested that a better use would be found in caring for the poor. While both ideas were commendable, only one was was pure in heart. Mary was overwhelmed with gratitude and love while Judas was bound by selfishness and greed. At the heart of each proposal was motive.

You may not be as duplicitous as Judas, but your service and stewardship for the Lord will often walk on feet of clay. Time spent evaluating our sincerity, devotion and love quotient can make all the difference in how we minister. While our ideas may certainly sound wise and solid, we would do well to always double check our motive.