Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. [Matthew 6:1 NKJV]
The desire to be seen can lead us into dark places.
Places where our egos are stroked and accolades are abundant.
In contrast, Jesus warns us of the dangers of doing things to be seen.
Generally speaking, I think that he is referring to 'good things'.
The desire to do 'good things', like preaching, can feed our egos.
When this happens the focus of our gifting and our giving is turned inward.
There is something about public speaking that is seductive.
I think that many enter religious and political service to simply be seen.
The notoriety and the power of public speaking can be intoxicating and addictive.
Many who are drawn to public service are drawn to service to be seen rather than to see.
As a result these folks are often blind to the needs and pain of those around them.
They are so focused on themselves, and their celebrity, that they can see little else.
What Jesus says here is a reminder to us of the invisible nature of following Him.
John the Baptist said: He must increase and I must decrease.
There is really no place for egoistic nonsense in our Christian service.
So try to ways to invisibly give of yourself and your things.
Follow your loving heart instead of your ego driven head.
And see where this sort of secret love will lead you.
God deliver me from the temptation to serve to be seen.
... this devotion is part of the Red Letters series. Click here to read more.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love to get comments and usually respond. So come back to see my reply.
You can click here to see my comment policy.