I have a decision to make. I caught myself today shying away from one option simply because I spotted a wrong motive inside myself. For years I’ve tossed ideas out as soon as I discover a bad motive. Don’t believe for a second that I do all things from pure motives, especially when I make the decision quickly, but I do try.

For the first time today I considered the possibility that one bad motive may not necessarily mean the option should be tossed. In fact, I may far too often be throwing the baby out with the bath water.
So, as I wrestled with my motives I began to imagine different people flipping coins. Evil men, good men, funny little outfits distinguishing each of them. The point was the right answer was heads or tails and that an evil man with evil intentions can get it right just as easily as the good man pretty often.

Decisions in life may not be as simple as flipping a coin, and our motives certainly should play a role in our decisions, but recognizing a bad motive in one choice may not, in itself, disqualify the choice. Just as we often cannot control our own fears but often must choose to proceed despite them, we also cannot often change our minds propensity to discover some selfish persuading factor that my stain our motives. For some people, in some circumstances, the right choice is to proceed despite the potential selfishness. In fact, having recognized the danger we are better prepared to defeat it.

I leave you with a picture from “Lord if the Rings”. Aragorn is looking at Isildur’s sword that slayed the evil Sauron, but at the same time is reminded of the corruption and weakness that allowed evil to persist:

Arwen: Why do you fear the past? You are Isildur’s heir…not Isildur himself….you are not bound to his fate.
Aragorn: The same blood flows in my veins…the same weakness.
Arwen: Your time will come….you will face the same evil and you will defeat it! (she then speaks in elvish tongue which translates to:) The shadow does not hold sway yet…not over you….not over me.

I am probably not alone in my fear of my weaknesses. Next time I come face to face with them I hope they do not trump all other reasons. Perhaps, next time, I’ll choose to proceed despite them.