Having a Meek and Quiet Spirit 18 of 22

Why do you do what you do? Wow that can be a tongue twister :) Seriously Why do you do what you do? Do you do it for self? Do it you do it for man? OR Do you do what you do for the Lord? That is a mouth full of words that packs a BIG question!!!

Why We Do What We Do is a lesson from Sapphira in I Samuel 16: 7b "For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."
You may ask how this story of Ananias and Sapphira apply here, well as we look at the story in (read) Acts 5:1 - 11 we see that they appeared to be doing right but they weren't. There hearts weren't in it. They lied and the Lord killed them immediately. There are two things we can learn from this: Vows and Motives.

Vows
Proverbs 20:25 "It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make inquiry."
When a man or woman take something that belongs to God we have been ensnared by sin. Take your tithe if you don't give God his part you are stealing from God. You are then in sin!!
When you promise God something DO NOT UNDO IN DOUBT WHAT YOU DID IN FAITH!!!!

1. Selfishness or greed causes us to hold back from God what we have promised to Him.
When you give your life to the Lord, guess what that means?! You are no  longer making decisions on your own. God is now part of that!! Wives, mothers, those that are dearest to you here on earth are Gods! You need to care for those precious children God GAVE you!! I have 5 children I'm so grateful I can say, my daughter is now in Bible college and Lord willing will serve the Lord with the rest of her life. My oldest 2 sons both what God's will in their lives. my 16 yr old feels God has called him to Evangelism. Did I force them into it? NO I prayed when I gave my children to the Lord that HE would lead them into what HE has for them. My younger 2 are saved and want to serve God but haven't come to the age of knowing what God wants yet. You say what is that age? It's when the Lord touches their heart that they should be a teacher, preacher, missionary, evangelist. The age doesn't matter as long as when God calls them, Mom doesn't say, "Oh honey I can't let you do that!' When I gave my children to the Lord they became his to do as he wants and leads them to do. Wife, your husband is Gods, he is accountable to God don't be selfish and hold back your husband from serving God.

2. Lack of faith often causes us to hold back from God what we have promised to Him.
This can refer back to some of what I said in pt 1. Once you promise God something guess what? You Have to keep that promise. We are human we are meant to break promises. But a woman or man of his/her word will NOT bread a promise!!!

Motives
I Samuel 16:7b "...For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."
Many of us as wives and mothers give only to God what we have to make ourselves appear right with God. However, God sees our hearts!!! Do you want your children in drugs and drinking and doing that which they shouldn't do? Of course you dont'. So DON"T do what makes you look good, do what God wants us to do!!!

James 1:12 "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for what he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him."  Don't hold back on God, don't hold back with your husband, don't hold back with your children.
Don't be an Ananias and Sapphira, Give it all to God, Keep your Promises to God, Live as you want your children to live, Be what your husband needs you to be, Give it ALL to God!!!