T. S. Elliott said, “The worst thing is to do the right thing for the wrong reason.” That, I am afraid, is a biting indictment against thousands laboring in our churches today. Ulterior motives abound. The need for affirmation, attention and affection along with greedy grabs for power, money and fame mar the simplicity Christ desires for His church.
The ancient priesthood was to have none of those lesser motivations. Eight times in Exodus 28 – 40 you will find those pregnant words “serve me” (28: 1, 3, 4; 29: 1, 45; 30: 30; 40: 13, 15). The “me’, of course, is the God Who is speaking. Our worship, our work, our witness is all about Him. Everything is vertical in this horizontal life. We live expressly for His glory (1 Cor. 6: 20). The Westminster Divines had it right: “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” God has no purpose outside Himself and we should have none either.
The motive test must be taken repeatedly in life. Those who start well do not always end well. Barnacles of lesser things attach themselves unnoticed to the hull of our spiritual service. Little foxes spoil the vines. Distractions prove disastrous. The unrivaled, unsullied beauty of our Lord is tainted by the temptation to grab stuff along the way and liking it to grab more of it. One day we awaken to discover we are in violation of the First and Second Commandments and the tangible has supplanted the intangible.
God doesn’t have much to say to the ulterior motive crowd. He speaks most clearly and cogently to those ministering exclusively to Him (Acts 13: 2). To the ulterior motive crowd He is still shouting, “Serve Me!”