Purify Your Motive

 Blooming Season Family! 

I hope you all are having a good day today and if not, I hope that this weeks blog can provide some source of inspiration or joy to your life. 

I’m exited to dig into this subject because we are getting ready to walk into a brand new month and we could always use some motivation. 

Yesterday, I was studying the book of Jeremiah, in chapter 20, there was a verse that reached out and grabbed my heart. 

In verse 9, Jeremiah is speaking about his God given calling, which was to be a prophet who shared God’s word and he says, “If I say, “I will not mention him or speak anymore in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones and I am weary with holding it in and I cannot.” 

Immediately after reading that verse, a bunch of questions popped into my head. 

“What is your motive?” “Is your motive pure?” “How do you know if your motive is pure?” 

This is so interesting to me because we all have motivations behind our aspirations, if we did not have any motivation, we wouldn’t strive for anything or have any goals. 

Only a pure motive will bring us lasting fulfillment and wholeness. 

For example: 

Exercise. 

If the motive behind my workouts is self hate or to look good for someone other than myself, I will eventually run out of enthusiasm for exercise and it will become something that I dread and find zero enjoyment in.

It takes a pure motive to drag you out of your comfy bed every morning and workout, regardless of the mood that you’re in, the weather, the circumstance in your life, etc.  

And the same concept can be applied to every area of your life. 

This is how we achieve great things, by having strong motives that pull us towards the end zone even when we don’t feel like taking another step forward. 

The reason why I love what Jeremiah expressed in that verse is because his motive behind his God given purpose was so clear, uncontainable and pure. 

Jeremiah said, if there was any way in which he could stop, he would but his calling burned within him in such a way that he could not hold it in. 

Why did he want to stop? 

His purpose was not easy. 

God called him to say some things that were not popular within his community and did not result in fame, appreciation or gratifying results but the fire that he describes as, “burning within” his soul was so intense that he had to continue. 

Giving up could not be an option for Jeremiah, even if he wanted to. 

In my own way, I can relate to him because walking on the map that God has laid out for you, is not easy but I feel that fire in my bones for the arts and I just cannot let it go. 

Like a candle, sometimes the wind blows hard and the flame seemingly goes out. 

When we experience rejection, failure or unmet expectations, that fire might dwindle but there is always a low burn that remains. 

Like a stove, on its lowest possible level but it’s there burning, still. 

So, how do we know if our motive is pure? 

Are you burning to do this? Or are you unconsciously seeking validation? 

Are you burning to do this? Or are you trying to please someone else?  

Are you burning to do this? Or do you desire fame? 

The key to a purified motive is fire. 

Do you feel your palms sweaty and your heart beating out of your chest when you’re doing what you are called to do? 

If you lost it, don’t worry, you can get it back. 

It happened to me. 

If you’ve never felt this feeling of not being able to contain the gift, the idea, the passion that is within you, don’t worry, it’ll come, everyone has something. 

Ask God for it, take time to explore the things that make you so exited, the things that give you high energy and the things that are good for your soul. 

If you already have this fire burning within your bones, make it a priority to feed the flames on a daily basis, don’t take this burning for granted. 

It is a gift to burn for something, truly.  

Feeding this flame means rehearsing, doing your research, educating yourself, being a student, seeking inspiration and actually doing what you have been called to do instead of just talking about it. 

Behind every action we take, there is a motive and if the motive is pure, we will enjoy the action to the fullest. 

As we enter into a new month, let's check in with our motives and make sure that they are aligned. 

Sometimes they can get slightly off track but we can always make adjustments and get back to that fire in our bones.