Why do we do what we do?
Do we raise our hands in church during worship?
Do we pray before meals, maybe holding hands as we do at home, when we are eating at a public restaurant?
Do we give to charities and do we place our tithe in the offering plate?
Do we stop to give aid to a motorist who is stranded along the roadside?
Do we drive to the airport to pick up students who need a lift?
Do we host others in our homes, providing places to sleep, eat, and rest?
Do we give help to our neighbors?
Do we work together as a family to help others in need?
Be generous and charitable.
Do whatever the Lord leads you to do.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;
(The Gospel According to Matthew 5: 14-15 NASB)
nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand,
and it gives light to all who are in the house.”
We are called to love others, and we are called to do good works. Also true is that believers are called to build personal relationships with others. We are to give our coat to another who is in need, and we are to walk with another, going even the extra distance if necessary. We are.
The issue is NOT whether we should or should not do these things (and many other actions that others might ask of us or that God’s Holy Spirit might prompt us to do). That is not the issue found within the words of the Savior.
Jesus said—
“So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you,
(The Gospel According to Matthew 6: 2 & 4b NASB)
they have their reward in full. . . .
your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
Jesus also said—
“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you,
(The Gospel According to Matthew 6: 5 & 6b NASB)
they have their reward in full. . . . your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
Jesus wants me to know His Father as well as He does.
Jesus wants the exact same thing for you.
Jesus wants us to be as happy for the Father’s promises that will come in heaven, just as happy as the praise we receive here on earth. Let us ask ourselves two personal questions:
Is God a real person to me? &
Do I want God more than anything?
May we (you and I) be satisfied with the Father’s eyes on us. Let us be amazed and happy that the Father in heaven will reward us someday soon. Continue to do good. Yes, continue to let your light shine for Jesus, and do not hide the fact that you are a child of God. Sway and Dance in Worship to Him. Do Good Works. Pray Without Ceasing, Everywhere. Raise Your Hands and Praise the Lord. Allow the world to see your faith. We cannot live a Christian life and not be seen. You can’t, and neither can I. Our lives reveal the Light. However, there is an issue that we need to deal with today. Do we crave the praise and approval of man OR Do we desire God’s approval? Our human heart is sinful, prideful, and desires human affections and accolades. It’s not the behavior our Lord is addressing in His teaching. The lesson we are to learn is found in the REASON we do that which we do. It’s a heart issue.
May we be charitable and generous. One day soon we will go home to heaven. GOD IS REAL, SO DO EVERYTHING FOR HIM; therefore, child of God—
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they see your good works,
(The Gospel According to Matthew 5: 16 NASB)
and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”