Romans 1:8-10. Motives Matter

As your heart hungers and searches for answers and His wisdom in scripture, don't make the same mistake I did by letting your eyes skip over these three verses in an attempt to get to the "good stuff". I have to confess, I have never given Paul's introduction to the Book of Romans much thought before. The Holy Spirit is teaching me this lesson: “Do not assume there are passages within the bible that don't apply to you.” I'm learning that God truly is in everything, and I'm missing out by not eagerly expecting to encounter HIM IN EVERY WORD of scripture. Truly read ALL SCRIPTURE recognizing that ALL SCRIPTURE truly holds the power to change us

Paul's example of walking in the will of Jesus through the Holy Spirit is arguably the most important aspect of being a true follower of Jesus Christ. Paul has made a habit of always thanking God for any grace he finds within any believer. This practice is paramount to navigating life driven by the Holy Spirit whilst still in this world wearing our flesh. Pride and ego are always lurking, waiting to slither in and damage our testimony, and distance us from our heavenly power source. The best way to keep these evils in check is by acknowledging that ALL goodness, ALL grace-filled gifts, come directly from God. By humbling self with praise to The One true God, we can avoid the common pitfall of inflated ego. Paul demonstrates his intimate and personal relationship with God. acknowledging that this access and intimacy can only be achieved through Christ Jesus

Paul acknowledges that the Roman believers' faith is noteworthy only by God's doing, boasting only in God. God has honored the church of Rome through the persistent and continuous prayers of His righteous followers, which Paul certainly was! As followers of Jesus Christ, Paul knows the dangerous climate that these brothers and sisters are in and encourages them by being forthcoming and transparent. Paul knew that, without God's continued provision and guidance, even strong faith falters. Therefore, Paul never removed the Roman believers from his prayer list; the faithful saint needs prayer support just as much as the unfaithful. What a powerful reminder to stay in a surrendered heart posture where all roads lead to The Lord.

Paul has some plans; he’d like to see the believers in Rome, “...by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you,” However, he doesn't want to do anything outside of what His Heavenly Father commands. He acknowledges his need to be in prayer for them. There is a powerful message in just these three verses. Paul shows his surrendered state by acknowledging that his personal wants and desires take a backseat to the plan God has for him. Having such great faith and trust in God's timing has enabled Paul to do great and mighty Kingdom work for The Lord! I want to have a prayer life like Paul; I want to have that kind of faith. Here, Paul is telling us exactly how to achieve that: develop a personal relationship to Jesus through The Spirit by internalizing The Gospel-The Good News-The Word of God. Paul relied solely on The Gospel; he goes so far as to call it "my gospel," in chapter 2 v16

Paul gives us a very real glimpse directly into his heart in these few verses; we are able to discern his motives and how he has been granted undeniable access to the wisdom of our Heavenly Father. I believe the apostle Paul is telling us that motives matter. His motive to encourage fellow believers in humility, fueled by thanksgiving to God, so as not to inflate self-worth or ego, simultaneously defuses righteousness of self. He places all glory where it belongs: GOD! Paul serves God from a place of genuine love, for and IN The Lord. Paul serves out of a sincere desire to please and glorify God; he knows any other motive is not spiritual nor acceptable in the eyes of The Lord. Pure motives are the backbone of truly amazing God-fueled service and ministry!

What are your goals? What is motivating your heart as you prepare to be immersed in the exquisite Grace and Glory of this Gospel Truth?

- Ardena Hamill