Day Nineteen
Matthew 6: 1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.”
In reading this verse I think that it should have been attached to the previous verse: Matthew 5: 48.
After Jesus said, “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect,” He issued a warning, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise, you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.”
Jesus talks much about not boasting about what you have done for others or for God. Proverbs 16:18 says “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.”
Basically, what happens when we are boasting and being full of pride is it all becomes about us, and not about others. When we help someone, it should not be a reward for you. We are also not glorifying God but ourselves. We will have our reward here and nowhere else.
This is what happens to us when we think we are so good, because we all fall short of being good. We may look to do other charity events to continue to get the praise without even thinking about the people that we are helping. Years ago, I read a book by Donna Leon. Her books are set in Venice, and I love her mysteries because they make me think. The detective had been to visit a woman who ran a domestic violence shelter. One of he women who cared for these women was murdered. He met with the woman who prided her herself on helping these desperate women wanting to escape violence, but she was not concerned for the murder of one of her employees. As the detective left her office, he thought, “How little those who help others actually care about the people they help.” I understood this completely. So many people I worked with who did services for foster children, actually cared about those children. It was about them. Their opinions mattered more than those actually working with the families. They knew more, but they barely wanted to know the child or the family. The people that God loved.
It is in many ways a catch-22. If you do not believe in your work, you will fail because the dedication is not there. At the same time if you believe that only you can do the work, and it is about you, you will fail because you no longer see the individuals involved. In between these two points is the person who sees the people that they help, and they help them because they are needed. It doesn’t fail but is a gift of love from God’s heart to the person in need through the person fulfilling the need. It is no longer about self but about fulfilling God’s love for that person.
God wants us to know and to love and to care for the individuals that we may help. He wants them to understand that this love is passed from Him through our actions. It is when we let go of self that we are rewarded by God. Our value has always been not in ourselves but in how much God loves each of us individually.
I have known individuals who did things for those less fortunate. I had several people who I could go to and seek help when I needed something for a child or a family. I had a child who needed dental care. Medicaid would not cover it. It was actually a life-threatening situation with his lower jaw growing more than the upper jaw. If it continued to grow at the rate it was growing, he would not have been able to chew his food. The dentist did it for free. I knew workers that helped out families without getting reimbursed. There are people around us that give to those that need their help or their time. They do not do it for recognition, but because they saw a need and they could fulfill it.
Today’s Question:
When you help others do it quietly or boasting?
Ever in God’s Love,
Mary Elizabeth Todd
December 11, 2024
Ruhamah United Methodist Church Bible Verses 