Text- 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.”
One of the things that clearly distinguish biblical Christianity from virtually all other religions in the world is its focus on the condition of our hearts. Certainly, what we do matters a lot, but why we do the things we do is the most fundamental.
God said to Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:17, “…The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
God is interested in those intentions that are hidden from human eyes. He’s after our hearts; He checks the motives behind the things we do. For this reason, we should pay close attention to our motives.
If you are a married man reading this, and your wife tells you that the only reason why she’s still married to you is because she wants to destroy your life, will you go “Oh! I love the fact that she’s still willing to stay with me”… Obviously, the decision to stay in the marriage is a right course for action, but the motive behind it is devilish.
There are a lot of right things that people do for the wrong reasons. In our text today, Jesus in fact implies that some people practice righteousness for wrong reasons! The motivation behind their righteousness is for human approval, not to please God.
A lot of people today serve God for fame and fortune; or just to show off how ‘holier’ they are than others. They seem to be doing all the noble and praiseworthy things, but when we dissect their hearts, we find that their motivation is very wrong. I hope you are no one of them.
In Matthew 6, Jesus went on to give us some few examples on how we are to ensure that the right things we do are rightly motivated. He said when we give to the needy; it should not be so that they will honor us in return (Matthew 6:2-4).
He said when we fast and pray; it should not be to show spiritual superiority.
God said in Jeremiah 17:10, “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.”… Beloved, as you go about your day today, mind your motives. God is searching your heart, and He is testing your mind.
PRAYER
Father, I repent of wrong motives today. From today, I will begin to pay close attention to me heart and mind the motives behind my actions. Help me so to do in Jesus Name