action or intention?

is it the action or the intent that real matters? i know God looks at our hearts and the motive behind our actions, but is that all that matters? i was offered the opinion that the intention of our hearts is what God cares about more than the action.

this seems to be true, but i think there may be more to it.

"but the lord said to samuel, “don’t judge by his appearance or height, for i have rejected him. the lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. people judge by outward appearance, but the lord looks at the heart.” -1 samuel 16:7

"woe to you, teachers of the law and pharisees, you hypocrites! you are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. in the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." -matthew 23:26-28

no mistaking it-God cares about more than outward things, as seen when choosing a king for israel. jesus cares about the motives behind our actions. he obvious was not pleased with the way the pharisees "followed" God's law, without any consideration to the condition of their heart. their concern for their own pious appearance and social standing was not honoring to the God they claimed to serve.

but is that enough? is all that is required of us to have the right heart before God? i think our actions flow from our the state of our heart. it is easy to recognize when "right" actions come from those with the "right" intentions. obviously, "wrong" actions will be equally easy to be seen from those with "wrong" motivation. the bible is full of examples of evil men and women who sought their own ends, without any regard to the mind of God. it is also possible to do the "right" thing, with "wrong" motivation as the pharisees did.

i think it is also possible to do the "wrong" thing for the "right" reasons. does God only care about our motivation? i don't think so. while it may be equally (or more so?) important as the action itself, the action can not be discredited. why would God specifically command us to not misuse his name, if he didn't care about the action of treating his name reverently? if he only cared about our hearts, i don't think he would give us specific commands throughout his word.

how wonderful our God is! he knows our weakness-our tendency to fall away from him-our fickle natures. i feel like he offers us a safe-guard in his commands-in his offer to be obedient. while God sees our hearts-knows our motives-examines our intentions, i think the importance of the act of obeying should not be so easily disregarded. it is for our own benefit to follow his commands in response to the work he is doing in our hearts. i think it is dear to the heart of our God for us to act in obedience to him. right actions with the right intent.

how easy to write-how hard to live out.
praise him for the resources he provides to suceed!

"work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. for God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him." -philippians 2:12-13