One of my favorite passages is a section of Mathew commonly known as ‘The Sermon on the Mount’. I have used parts of it in previous blogs and will likely use additional sections in blogs to come, mostly because Jesus addressed several issues in that one sermon. Today we are going to look at the first half of chapter 6 of Matthew.
I am active in the congregation I attend; I encourage everyone to find work that needs to be done and be active. I always tried to actively participate anywhere I have worshiped, and I did this for various reasons. There is no better way to get to know your fellow brothers and sisters than to work with them, especially at a new congregation. Some will serve out of a sense of obligation and others out of gratitude for what God has done for us. However, there are those who have over looked Jesus’ words at the beginning of this chapter: ‘Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them’.
I have to admit there have been times in my past I have ‘served’ so that others would know that I was ‘spiritual’. Little did I realize that I was little more than unspiritual and that I was not serving God at those times in my life: I was serving myself. My treasure was not being stored up in Heaven, my reward was the verbal ‘good job’s I got in the moment.
The past couple of years I have really sought to refocus my life and my service. Today I do what I do because it needs to be done by someone. While I like for people to comment when they appreciate something I have said or done, I am no longer doing those things to receive the praise of anyone. I serve to please and glorify the Living God.
When we get caught up in serving man we give away the reward our Father has provided us in Heaven and we do it for the reward we receive on this earth. A reward that can only be destroyed. Let me encourage you to not give away God’s gift for man’s rust.
