For our giving to be of true worth, it should be motivated by love. Motive makes the difference: The motive behind an act can make it righteous and acceptable. What we truly are is what we give. The motive behind the gift is our state of righteousness, which is what the Lord accepts. If we give grudgingly, it is counted as evil before the Lord (see verse 8). If we give to be seen of man, we have no reward from our Heavenly Father, for our reward (if it could be called such) is to be pridefully recognized of men (see 3 Nephi 13:1–4; Matthew 6:1–4). Surely the motive of every action is the basis upon which we are judged of God as to our character. Elder Dallin H. Oaks explains the Christlike way to serve:
If our service is to be most efficacious, it must be accomplished for the love of God and the love of his children. The Savior applied that principle in the Sermon on the Mount, in which he commanded us to love our enemies, bless them that curse us, do good to them that hate us, and pray for them that despitefully use us and persecute us. (See Matt. 5:44.) He explained the purpose of that commandment as follows:
“For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
“And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?” (Matt. 5:46–47.)
This principle—that our service should be for the love of God and the love of fellowmen rather than for personal advantage or any other lesser motive—is admittedly a high standard. The Savior must have seen it so, since he joined his commandment for selfless and complete love directly with the ideal of perfection. The very next verse of the Sermon on the Mount contains this great commandment: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48.)
This principle of service is reaffirmed in the fourth section of the Doctrine and Covenants: “Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.” (D&C 4:2.)
We learn from this command that it is not enough to serve God with all of our might and strength. He who looks into our hearts and knows our minds demands more than this. In order to stand blameless before God at the last day, we must also serve him with all our heart and mind.
Service with all of our heart and mind is a high challenge for all of us. Such service must be free of selfish ambition. It must be motivated only by the pure love of Christ. If we have difficulty with the command that we serve for love, a Book of Mormon teaching can help us. After describing the importance of charity, the prophet Moroni counseled:
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ (Moro. 7:48).” (“Why Do We Serve?” Ensign, Nov. 1984, 12ff)