Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

But the Lord  came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”
Genesis 11:4-7

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Twenty years ago as a couple’s small group leader, God shone a hard light on my motives. A gentleman in the group asked us to pray for a friend on the mission field.  During the prayer, he mentioned her supply needs. This seemed a simple enough request, so I put together a box of the items and shipped them to the ministry office in this foreign country. Truth be told, I secretly hoped that my act of kindness would be “found out” and I would be praised for being Godly and generous. 

Upon the next small group meeting, these words rang with foreboding, “I have to talk to you about something.” The same gentleman who shared the prayer request proceeded to tell me that his friend contacted him. She informed him about the high customs fees required to obtain the box I sent. The taxes were more than the value of the items inside! I was incredibly embarrassed and still am. I offered to reimburse the ministry, but he insisted it was unnecessary. He ended with, “Just don’t send anything else.”

My finger was pointing at God, but my eyes were gazing at myself in the mirror.

God taught me a tough but good lesson about my motives. Now I strive to make them as pure as possible while still wearing the skin of a flawed human being. As today’s passage describes a people building a city and a tower, we know those achievements are not inherently sinful. God sees beyond the action, though, right into the intention of our hearts. I still battle with what Paul admonishes in 2 Corinthians 10:5, “Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” I am glad the Lord reprimanded me years ago as it propelled me toward living a more genuine life. Now I am committed to adhere to Proverbs 16:2 with much greater awareness. “All a person’s ways seem right in his own opinion, but the Lord evaluates the motives.” 

Next Steps

Is there any area of your life where your motives are to impress people with your godliness? Frequently you can continue the exact same activity but change your inner voice to more pure dialogue, performing only for the Lord.