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Practicing Righteousness Before Men
Matthew 6:1-18
Here our Lord gives his
disciples instruction in their manner of giving, praying and
fasting—three common acts of worship and service in the first century.
The contrast is made between those whose religion is for show and those
whose is genuine. It should not be at all surprising to find that in
that day there were many who practiced good deeds and made a show of
worship in order to be seen and praised by men. They are still among us
today. God was not impressed then and neither is He now. Let us always
be careful to avoid this trap!
We ought
not take this admonition to mean we cannot give or pray or fast in
public. But we must always ask ourselves the probing question, “What is
my reason for doing this?” If I attend worship services only to be seen
as a “church going” person, I have my reward already. When I pray in
public are my words just as heart-felt as if I were at home? Do I put
more in the offering plate than I want to because I think someone is
watching? God wants us to worship and serve Him out of love, not
obligation, and never for show!
It is a great spiritual
boost for me to share fellowship at the appointed times each week with a
sincere family of Christians. I know that those who smile while
worshipping and serving the Lord are serving and worshipping Him out of
love. And I see so many smiling faces at Pond!
Let us always remember as
we do good deeds here and there, and as we meet together for worship,
that it is our heart that God sees even when no one else is around. We
are not judged by how much we give or by the length of our prayers. We
are judged on the standard of worship in spirit and in truth. True
worship is according to the Word of God. Worship in spirit is
heart-felt and sincere. I believe that when we worship God in these
ways we are not the only ones smiling.
Thomas Sneed
Pond Church of
Christ
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