“Beware Of Practicing Your Piety

Before Others”

“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.”

“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the street, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Matthew 6:1-6

You have only one life to live, and only one life to give. Be careful how you give it and who you give it to. Make sure you plan for eternity.

It is what God thinks of us that matters, not what others think. Jesus instructed us to pray in a closed room, where no one could see us, rather than in a public place where we might get credit for being spiritual. Do not clamor for attention and achievement. Jesus invites us to let go of that competitive struggle, to trust that God’s opinion of us is the only one that ultimately counts.

Christ is seen most clearly when we remain in the background.

Our Daily Bread – August 27, 2008