Day One Matthew 6:1
“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 6:1 (NLT)
Learn From the Word
Back in Matthew 5:16, Jesus told us, “Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father” (emphasis added). Jesus isn’t contradicting Himself here; He’s addressing our motivation. Jesus is going to teach on three spiritual disciplines to start this chapter – giving, praying, and fasting – and He wants to make sure we’re practicing them with the proper heart motivation. Jesus gives us a clear choice. If we do a good deed or practice a spiritual discipline to receive praise from other people, their praise is our reward. When our motivation is God’s glory and honor, we receive an eternal reward from our Father in heaven.
Put It Into Practice
Take a few minutes to think about everything you do over the course of a normal day. How much of what you do is motivated by seeking praise from others – your boss, team, spouse, peers? Confess those things to God now. Today and over the course of this week, ask Him to bring to mind the things you do for the praise of others or with wrong motives. Ask Him to do a work in your heart to live out 1 Corinthians 10:31: “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
For Families with Kids at Home
It always feels nice to be recognized for doing something good. This can be especially true for our kids - their brains crave affirmation and positive reinforcement! However, the danger can be that we begin to do things simply because others are watching and not because they’re the right thing to do. Ask your kids “have you ever done something because you were trying to impress someone?” Share an example from your own life as well! Take the opportunity to point out that God wants us to do the right thing, even if no one sees.