Daily Devotion

“Before the judgment seat of Christ, we are judged not only for what we have done, but also for why we did it.”

A.W. Tozer · Christian Motives

Scripture

1 Corinthians 4:5 (Contemporary Chinese Version) Therefore, do not make hasty judgments before the time has come. When the Lord Jesus returns, He will expose the hidden truths and reveal the motives in people's hearts. At that time, God will give each person the praise they deserve.

Reflection

We are often busy calculating the effectiveness of our work, the scale of our service, or the evaluations we receive from others, easily overlooking the "motives" hidden in the shadows, which only God can see. Tozer's warning aligns with Paul's teaching: the yardstick of judgment measures not only "what was done," but also "why it was done." This gives us a double reminder: on the one hand, we must be careful to examine ourselves and avoid falling into the traps of vanity and self-righteousness, because outward piety cannot conceal inner motives; on the other hand, it is also a great comfort—even if our efforts are not understood or seen by the world, as long as the motive is out of love for God, the Lord who sees in the darkness will surely praise us in eternity.