Examining Our Motives

Examining Our Motives

⁴ Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrongto his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. ⁵ He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?” ⁶ Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be put to death.” (1 Samuel 19: 4-6)

Saul and Jonathan

Where do we take counsel? Do we take counsel singly or as a group? Do we give a thought to what is the right or wrong thing to do?

Saul wanted to do away with David. That was not a good idea. Jonathan went and told him, “Don’t do that.” Do we have a Jonathan our lives? Do we listen to our Jonathan? Or do we follow our own will without seeing if it’s God’s will?

Am I doing the right thing, do I ask what you want me to do Lord? Do we ever do what is the right thing and wonder why Jesus doesn’t seem to be in it?

People came to Jesus to see miracles, to be healed, to be close to the one they love. These are good things. They are good motives. But are these good motives? We need to examine our motives and see why we do what we do. We should not act without recollection.

Why do we do the things we do? Do we spend time in prayer and reflection? When I want to make a decision, do I consult only my will but not God’s will? Do we think about if our actions and our decisions are in conformity with what God wants?

We need to be recollected people and discern where we get our marching orders. We can seek people who think like we do and who will tell us what we want to hear. But we should be seeking people who are God centered who will tess us what God wants us to hear. We need to rely more on God than on ourselves.

--Transcribed as best as possible from a homily by Father Jacob Meyer