Motivation or Motives?

Tonight I was reading through James 4:1-12 and checking out some commentaries as I prepare for Bible Study tomorrow and a question arose that was kind of a slap in the face. What are your motivations? The text was making it in reference to fighting and quarrels, but it really stretches beyond that. What are the motives behind the things we do and say? Not, are they just "good," but are they Godly?

Sometimes I feel like I am so good at deceiving others that in turn I am really deceiving myself. Like when I was younger. I convinced everyone that I was tough and confident and even I believed it for awhile, but in the end when I really dig deep I know that it's not true. I think that I often do that with my motives too. Am I really doing this to help someone or am I hoping to get something out of it? What I did may be good, but was my heart and desires in line with God?

I don't have an answer on how to stop having selfish motives, I'm not sure there is a preventive strategy, but what I do know is that I want to change my motives into motivation. If I see that my motives may be skewed, I want to take that and turn it into motivation to get more in line with God. If I start something because it makes me feel good about myself, I want to change that into motivation to show God's glory and what he has done through me. I am imperfect and I will be until the day I die, but I am going to strive to be perfect because the day I stand with my Father I will be and he will say, "Well done, good and faithful daughter." What better motivation is there then that?