Have you ever set out to do something with selfish intentions in mind? I know that we all have, I have set out to do things with that very set of intentions inside.  Whether it was to put together something to make lots of money at the expense of others, or it was to do something out of spite for someone else, yes, I can admit, I have tried to do this in my life. All of those activities have crumbled and failed like a North Korean test missile. Why is that?

Take a look at this passage from James Chapter 4:13-17:

Beloved:
Come now, you who say,
“Today or tomorrow we shall go into such and such a town,
spend a year there doing business, and make a profit”–
you have no idea what your life will be like tomorrow.
You are a puff of smoke that appears briefly and then disappears.
Instead you should say,
“If the Lord wills it, we shall live to do this or that.”
But now you are boasting in your arrogance.
All such boasting is evil.
So for one who knows the right thing to do
and does not do it, it is a sin.

My intentions in all of those ventures was that of selfishness. Deep down, if I was to go back and be in that moment again, I could have examined my intentions and asked if this was right or wrong. Instead, I let my worldly pride or my foolish self get in the way, and in turn, in all those cases, it was not worth it in the end. No matter what I would have done, it would have either been so difficult to maintain that it would have failed anyone, or I just ended up hurting myself, my reputation, and my relationships with others.

It is so hard to stop the feelings that you have sometimes. Especially when someone has done something to trespass against you. I am trying to learn this new way of thinking, and change my intentions before going into something. I have to constantly remind myself that I am here for a purpose, and that purpose is up to God, not me. I am not in control, nor do I know when it will all end for me. I am trying so hard to listen and discern what the Holy Spirit is calling me to do. It is not an easy thing to do, but in the end, it always turns out better than I have ever imagined.

I pray that today, you will find time to stop and listen and ask that the Holy Spirit come into your life, and let God take control. I pray that today you will find peace and happiness in doing something that you feel you are being called to do, not for selfish intentions, but because God is the one telling you to move in that direction.