We should EXAMINE our ‘MOTIVES’ every day!
January 4
Bible Reading: Genesis Chapters 10-12
We should EXAMINE our ‘MOTIVES’ every day!
Then they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and bake
them thoroughly." They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for
mortar. And they said, "Come, let
us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make
a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole
earth." (Gen 11:3-4)
The families
of the sons of Noah (10:32) got together in the land of Shinar and found a
plain area to start a building project – the first of its kind – that would
include a city with a skyscraper whose top would reach the heavens. They had
devised a new method of baking bricks and using asphalt to hold the bricks
together. In their excitement of being involved in this gigantic building
project, their conversation with each other reflected their ‘motives’ for
building this high tower:
- They wanted to reach to the top heights of glory – even up to the heavens where God is seated on His throne just like Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12-13).
- They wanted to make ‘a name for themselves’ reflecting pride, so that their future generation would honor their greatness, ingenuity and industry, which would put them up on a pedestal.
- They wanted to avoid being scattered that appears to be out of defiance against the rule of God.
- They wanted to reach heaven by their own works instead of receiving grace from God.
When God
came down to the earth and examined this city under construction, He found
their motives impure and scattered them all across the earth by confusing their
language. What resulted out of this construction project that was a city half
built and an unfinished tower that was not of much use to anyone.
Whatever we
do in our lives – whether for the kingdom of God or for our personal lives - we
need to examine our motives every day,
and make sure that God gets the glory in everything we do. If not, God will not
be pleased with our efforts and we will receive a curse instead of a blessing
from God!
