If you’ve ever done something wrong and then wondered later why you did it, it was probably because you didn’t give any thought to the motivation behind it. We’ve all been there and suffered the guilt from knowing we missed the mark yet again. However, examining our motives can prevent us from repeating the same mistakes over and over. Pausing for a moment to ask ourselves the reason why we’re considering something can help us make the right choices.

People have their own reasons for their actions, but some of their motives can be ungodly and impure. We may see someone doing something that looks spectacular and impressive to the world, but appearances can be deceiving. Some people do things that look wonderful on the outside, but their motives may be selfishness, greed, or a need to be admired. God sees right through that. “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7, NKJV).

Most people go through life guided by their own self-centered desires and interests with no thought toward God. This kind of mindset causes them to gravitate toward the things of the world that only please them and opens them up to be misled by impure motives. By contrast, letting the Holy Spirit, also known as the Spirit of grace, guide us in this area saves us from this kind of spiritual danger. When we’re lying to ourselves about the real reasons for our behavior, we can’t lie to Him; God knows exactly what’s in our heart. “All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord” (Proverbs 16:2, NIV).

If we look inside ourselves and realize that we’ve been guided by the wrong motives, we don’t have to get discouraged. It’s impossible to change for the better through self-effort; thankfully, we don’t have to. The Holy Spirit works in us to realign our motivations to the point where we want to please God. “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13, NLT). He replaces our old motives with new motives.

Our priorities in life can either help us succeed or keep us in a cycle of constant failure. The things we give top priority to are the things that motivate us; the problem is that the world’s priorities are backward. Following the directions our external environment give us will always lead us down the wrong path; following God’s directions allows Him to give us everything He knows we need. “Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:30-33).

Grace is God’s unearned, unmerited favor that He wants to bestow on us, even when we don’t deserve it. Letting it guide our motives keeps us spiritually safe. Relying on the Holy Ghost to influence the things we want in life enables us to please God.