Today's Reading:
Jeremiah 51:54-52:34
Matthew 6:1-24
Proverbs 10:1-10
Click on Text Link to Read Online
Focus Verses: Matthew 6:1
1"Be
careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen
by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
Insight:
Even
righteous deeds can be done with unrighteous motives. Self-sacrifice
can be self-centered. In order to guard against self-centered motives,
Jesus taught that we should be secretive about our devotion and
spiritual practices. True devotion toward God does not seek to draw
attention to self. Private piety is less likely to be pretentious.
When
we give to the poor, we should do so quietly. When we pray, we should
seek out a place where we can be alone. When we fast, we should avoid
any appearance or behavior that attracts special notice or concern. The
same is true of nearly everything we do for God and for others.
The
problem, of course, is not that others know or notice acts of
righteousness (of course they will because"a city on a hill is not
easily hid"). The real problem Jesus is getting at is the motives of our
hearts. In order to be truly righteous, we must acknowledge our
potential for selfishness and false motives. We must realize that true
righteousness is directed toward God, not centered in self. We must not
let righteous deeds become a way to achieve self-gain, self-esteem,
self-aggrandizement, or self-gratification. The way of true
righteousness is self-denial.
Response and Action:
I
will do all I can to practice righteous deeds in quiet and unassuming
ways. I will guard against drawing attention to myself. And if something
I do for God does draw undue attention to me, I will be careful to give
God the glory. I will seek God's blessing, not the praise of people.
O
God, give me a heart to do what is right, and to do it for you. It is
your glory and your approval that I desire, not the notice or applause
of others. Help me, by faith, to do the good things you have prepared in
advance for me to do. Help me to be faithful, fruitful, and effective
as your servant: as a husband, father, son, brother, friend, neighbor,
pastor, and colleague. Through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.
Spiritual Formation Verses: Isaiah 29:13
13 The
Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me
with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me
is made up only of rules taught by men.
Resources:
The Message of the Sermon on the Mount: Christian Counter-Culture
by John Stott
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