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Read: Matthew 6:1-18
Listen: Matthew 6

Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. Matthew 6:1

In Jesus’s day, religious leaders position themselves prominently in synagogues and on busy street corners, ensuring maximum visibility for their prayers, fasting and giving. Jesus warns against doing the right things for the wrong reasons. He repeats the pattern of action, motive and reward. Jesus is not telling people to avoid doing things in public. Earlier in his sermon, he said, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Rather, it’s about their hearts. Doing things for honor or recognition from other people isn’t God’s way. They are to act for an audience of one—their heavenly Father.

We can easily misunderstand the intent of this teaching in Matthew 6. It’s not about doing things only secretly or anonymously. It’s all about our motive. This teaching frees us from the exhausting cycle of seeking human approval and invites us into the joy of living for our Father’s pleasure alone. As we live out our faith and engage in spiritual practices such as giving, praying, serving, fasting or leading, we glorify God and point others to him. As we grow in faith, we will notice ourselves thinking less and less about what others think or say and instead focus on our Father’s love and approval.

TODAY: Use Psalm 139:23-24 as a prayer. Ask God to reveal your motives and lead you to live his way: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”