Wash my motives clean

"Why?"

It's a question that's often fun to answer. While the weeWeir is not yet at the inquisitive, asking "why?" to everything stage yet, I've been thinking a bit about motivation.

Why do we do things? Is it for respect, recognition or reward? How about to show compassion, capability or some sense of achievement?

Do I tell you a certain story as a way of controlling? Do I use circumstances to manipulate others into doing what I want?

Does it matter?

Too right it does.

You see, in the teachings of Jesus, the heart (or motives) are crucial. The intent is vital. But so it the approach.

It's Easter Sunday. Did Jesus intend to die? Yes. Why? "Not my will, but yours be done".

Did He do it in some grand show of bravado? Some demonstration of self-deprecation - or ultimate folly?

Nope. It was the ultimate sacrifice. The blameless took my shame.

Why? So that God would be glorified - and people would be drawn to Him.

My hope is that people see Jesus through how I live. That Jesus would show them the love of the Father, the Creator. And that through faith we can live in grace & peace, full of love and a hope that doesn't disappoint.

Motives are hard to judge from the outside, so I can't really speak for anyone else, but this Easter, I hope you meet with the living Jesus who loves us more than we'll ever know.

My hope is that people don't see me as someone who has it all together, who has it all figured out.

PS - the title is a line from a Sue Rinaldi song "Change this world". I remember a gig with IndigoEcho when Sue was *headlining*. That was an odd gig, lots of fun, but still odd. We played to about 20 people in a 300-capacity tent in Ayrshire. The line "come and wash our motives clean" has stayed with me for over 10 years as I think about why I do things.