Matthew 6:1
Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
1 Peter 2:12
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Devotion
As we move into chapter six of Matthew, Jesus speaks concerning the inner motives that control external acts of righteousness, such as giving to the needy, prayer, fasting, and the accumulation of wealth. We saw in chapter five that Jesus spoke of the righteousness that His subjects must possess. It must be a righteousness to exceed that of the Pharisees and that comes only through faith in Christ. In chapter six, Jesus talks about the righteousness that the subjects of the kingdom are to practice. The motive, of course, is the important thing in what you do for God.
The items mentioned in this chapter—giving to the needy, prayer, fasting, money, and taking thought and care for the future—are very practical considerations. In verse one, Jesus instructs the subjects of His kingdom to do their acts of righteousness in secret. Jesus’ concern here is the heart of the person doing the acts of righteousness. The motive must not be for self-recognition or trying to win the favor of others. Acts of righteousness must always be with an audience of One in mind!
The secret acts of righteousness are known to God, who sees in secret. A subject of the King no longer desires the applause of his fellow man, and quietly and secretly helps those in need. The deed is recognized by God and is acknowledged by Him. Sometimes our deeds will be seen or acknowledged by others; this also is by God’s design. The important thing to remember is who we are doing it for! Are we doing our acts of righteousness for God? Self? Others? To live the inside-out life, we must always be aware of our motives and be conscious of the fact that we are playing to an audience of One!
In essence, Jesus is telling us not to make private practices about public performance.
Questions to Ponder:
Have you ever done the right thing to be recognized by others? Have you ever done the right thing to feel good about yourself? Are you able to do the right thing even when no one else is looking? Deep down, what is your true motive for doing the right thing? Do you grumble and complain when your actions aren’t noticed?
Prayer Points
- Worship the Lord as our Father who is unseen. Praise Him for being Abba, Papa. Praise Him for being our Constant Companion, who lives in us by His Spirit. Praise Him for being our Good Shepherd, who is our Teacher, Helper, Friend.
- As you sit before the LORD, ask Him to reveal to you any sinful ways. Ask Him to bring to remembrance times when you did things only to be seen, or with wrong motives.
- Thank Him for His open invitation to come, call, turn toward, abide, rest, lean into, commune, hear, share, etc.
- Ask Abba to infill you and Oak Pointe Church with His Holy Spirit. Pray we will be ones who love to commune with Him in our prayer closets. Ask the LORD to give us clean hands and a pure heart.
Suggested Prayer
Heavenly Father, all creation declares Your Holy Name. Even the wind and the waves obey you. I praise You, LORD, that You love me just as I am because when You look at me You see Your Son. Thank You for clothing me with a robe of righteousness and garment of salvation. I declare I am blessed to be Yours and that I can stand before You in the righteousness of Christ Jesus. Lord, draw me into daily fellowship with You in the secret place of prayer. Out of this place of intimacy with You, LORD, I ask that You empower me to run with You in ministry by Your Holy Spirit.
Send me out today, LORD, as Your ambassador, as Your witness, to use the things You have given me to bless those I come into contact with. Make me an agent of Your love, and as I am Your hands and feet, let me serve, help, provide, and love on those around me for an audience of One. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.