Heart Check 101

I enjoy giving
I also enjoy receiving
but what is more important?

If I give and don't receive and am dissapointed was I really giving out of love?
Was there motive behind the kind gesture?

Have we given our life over to Jesus because we are promised eternal life?
Is that our only motivation for doing this?

Do we do good works to receive a better or bigger piece of heaven?
Is that our only motivation?

We will be rewarded according to our works. Revelation 22:12
Rewards will be based on our faithfulness to what God has called us to do.

 story:

An elderly man walks into a villiage
There he discovers the whole villiage has gathered in it's center listening to a young man speak.
This man was beautiful, and strong.
The young man was telling the villiage that he had the most beautiful heart in the world.
It was pink and pumping the brightest red blood throughout his perfect body,not a flaw to be found in it.
As the elderly man heard this he exclaimed
" Young man I beg to differ I have the most beautiful heart"
the crowd laughed at the old man,but the old man stood his ground.
"Old man you are old and weary and out of breath, this shows the sign of an old  worn out heart"
"Young man I will prove that I have the most beautiful of hearts"
With that being said the old man took his shirt off and ripped open his chest exposing the heart that lie within.
It was pink in places,  and there were holes and chunks of different sizes filling those holes. The heart was mishaped and grotesque to look at.
The crowd began to laugh
The young man then took his shirt off and ripped his chest open and the crowd was in awe by the pinkest most flawless beautiful heart they have ever seen.
" Old man look at my heart can you see the difference between yours and mine?"
"Yes said the old man I can, but mine is still more beautiful than yours"
"How is that replied the young man"
"See these scars,these are scars of my past sins cut out by God and sewn up by His forgiveness, These holes are where I have given my love to others and they in turn did not give me theirs back,the mishaped chunks are pieces of anothers love that they have freely given.
With that being said the old man grasped his heart and tore a chunk of pink flesh out and offered it to the young man.
"May the love of God be with you"
as the young man reached out and received  this precious gift,he fell to his knees and looking up he reached into his chest and tore out a chunk and replied
"and also with you"

This story came to mind as I was pondering why we choose to follow God.
How many times have we hurt God and yet He still gives us his heart unconditionally for the taking.
Even if we reject His love He still pours it into our lives.

There is no motive behind His love
He just loves
How incredible is that?

Why is it that we know this and yet we don't always give our love freely to family,friends,strangers?
I desire change for this world
How do I make an impact if only small?
By checking my heart daily, if there is motive in all that I do or say to gain personally then I am choosing not to do it.
I have decided to just love and be obedient to Glorify God
There is no motive behind that as I already have all that I need and want
Unconditional love from my Father could there be a better reward than that?
I think not!