Skip to main content

Secret Rewards

    The Pharisees in Jesus day were known to make a big deal about how "righteous" they were. They would put on a show so that others could see how great they are and admire them. This is exactly what Jesus says we are not supposed to do. When we don't make a show of our faith is when it is truly genuine and He rewards us.

     We are never supposed to make much of ourselves, but to make much of our God. When we start promoting our own "holiness" is when we are in the wrong. We should always be living with the knowledge that everything good in us comes from Him. There is nothing good that comes from our flesh. Remember to promote Jesus and not your own actions today. The righteous acts you do in secret will be rewarded.

Matthew 6:1-4“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (ESV)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Listen Up

    Is Jesus talking to you? I hear many people wonder how to hear God's voice and what to listen for. I want to offer a bit of wisdom on the topic. If you are wondering if God is talking to you, the answer is yes. We were designed to have a relationship with our creator and He is always there trying to get ahold of you if you'll only pay a little attention.     How does God communicate with us? The first way is through His word. Those are direct words from God Himself, written through His people. The Bible is our instruction manual to life. Whatever difficulty we may be facing, there is always an answer in scripture. God, having known every need before we ever needed it, has already provided an answer. 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness (ESV)     The second way God communicates with us is by talking directly to us. Just like Adam and Eve spok...

Multiplication Without Division

    The church environment is made to be the body and the family of Christ. We are supposed to love each other and support each other through everything. Sadly, this is not the attitude of most churches in America today. Unfortunately, many people bring the world into the church instead of bringing the church into the world.      A lot of people use the church as a place where they can jockey for positions and get recognized for their talents. They use it as a place where they can judge and condemn others from the safety of their own elite clique. They look down condescendingly on those they see sinning, while sweeping their own sin under the rug.  They cause division. This attitude comes straight out of the world without Christ.  Matthew 7:5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. (NIV)     A church is a place where we exalt Jesus and ...

Humble Pie

    One of the most valuable characteristics in our walk with Christ is humility. When we have the ability to humble ourselves before Jesus and accept His leading, we go far. But problems arise when we force our own way. Humility is a characteristic that allows us to accept correction and truth and grow stronger because of it. Pride keeps us tied down and unable to grow up in Christ.     We have our brothers and sisters around us to keep pointing us to Jesus. That means helping us through areas not aligned with Him and combating those areas with the truth. But if we get angry and reject those people, we miss out on growing up for sake of being "right" and lose the people Jesus put in our lives for His sake. It doesn't matter if we are right but only that we follow what Jesus calls right and good. He is the one true judge and if we respect His ultimate goodness and authority, we should aim to follow in His ways.     Do not let your pride stunt your spiri...