Be Mindful of your Agenda

Matthew 20:23

Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”

Jesus shows that He is under the authority of God the Father. God alone makes the decisions about who will sit in those prime seats. These rewards are not granted as favors, though we often think that if we are good enough or nice enough or give away enough then we can accomplish winning favor with God.

Instead, we are to stay in a committed relationship with God and to do these things without an agenda. We need to do these things willingly because we want to do the good and hard Kingdom work of loving our neighbors as ourselves. 

God wants us to find a regular dwelling with Him where His character is second nature to us. Where we follow his character because we are overflowing with His love and mercy. God wants us to be like His Son Jesus. Nothing is worse than a tainted act of service. What matters more than the service is the heart and intention behind the service. Jesus’ heart is peaceful and pure. Today is a good day to reflect on the intentions of our actions. Can you ask Jesus to help you keep them pure? Can you look to Jesus as your example of how to do this well?