His Nature and Our Motives

READ:

. . . unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven —Matthew 5:20

KeyMessage: "The only thing that exceeds right-doing is right-being."

It is often easy to quantify how devoted we are to God by deeds/action. Sure we can judge one person how much he/she contributed to the church. Or we can measure another person by how much he or she donates. But this verse is telling us that it is not by action that we are able to glorify God. God is more pleased if our heart is in the right place. That is why we live under God and his commandments.

By rules and laws is how we can judge one another is abiding by His commandments. If we drop all this concept, rules wont be rules and laws wont be laws. I am saying that as oppose to looking at Christianity as a list of do's and don'ts we should instead be living life to glorify God. We dont do these action because we LOVE God not because we want to please God. It is a great reminder to myself that I do things pleasing to God "because I want to" rather than "because I have to."

Now that leaves the question to the next person doing their devotion (if he/she even read this). Do you do these daily devotion because you have to or because you want to? :)