Last year Jon Acuff, wrote an article for Relevant Magazine, entitled, “7 Questions to Ask Before You Throw Down Online”.  Each of these are worth exploring in the context of purposed worKING and how we handle ourselves in the workplace and online.

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Okay, everyone else questions our motives, so we too should question our own motives.  Wnile we all like to think that our motives are pure, can we be really honest with ourselves for a moment and admit that when we do things online we might be acting like we are there to be helpful, but down deep there is much of helping ourselves as anything?  Now, that isn’t all bad as helping our customers is also helping ourselves and our reputation with them.  But, when we just get out there on social media acting like we are there to provide knowledge, assistance or support that at the end of the day is better for us than others, then we might be messing up without even knowing.  Certainly engaging in any argument online we need to be sure that we have a motive that is pure.  Arguing online or taking on others isn’t sport.  It’s dangerous emotional warfare that we need to be sure that we in it for the right reasons.

Pride or haughtiness just doesn’t cut it as a proper motive for us. It might be for others, but as followers of Jesus, we can’t stand on those motives.  Our motives need to mirror those of His heart.  If we really think and act this way, we will find that much of what we could be stirred to participate in, will fall aside.  The need to have the last word will leave us.  The need to be the first to respond will lessen.  The need to be right all the time will subside.  Our motives can deceive even us.  Let’s take time today to evaluate our motives before we act.

Reference:  Proverbs 4:23 (New Living Translation)