”"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 6:1New International Version (NIV)
Matthew 6:1 Devotional (Daily Bible Verse)
How to Practice Your Righteousness
Matthew 6:1 is a verse on “How to practice your righteousness” with regard to giving of alms, and prayer and fasting. This is a very important subject because humans naturally like to be the center of attention.
Therefore, we like to promote ourselves and receive praise from others. We also like to be applauded by others.
However, the practicing of your righteousness is not for the attention or recognition of others. In fact, they should not know anything concerning your righteousness. But the manifestation of our righteousness should be for God.
We ought to give alms and pray and fast out of our love for God and other people. If we give alms and pray and fast to put up a show, then we lose sight of the real purpose of manifesting the righteousness of God. In fact, instead of developing and having a close relationship with God, our egos prevent and separate us from Him and His love.
That is why Jesus teaches that the giving of money and praying and fasting be done in secret. This is to keep us from doing either activity for public recognition.
Therefore, Jesus Christ warned us against practicing our righteousness in order to impress the public (Matthew 6:1). Such a practice, he warned, is only rewarded on earth (through the praise and applause of the public), and not in heaven where the eternal rewards are. And this is because the same does not please God.
Righteousness is a matter of motive. That is, the ‘why’ of practicing your righteousness). And that’s why your motive must be God-centred (1 Samuel 16:7), not you-centered.
Prayer/Blessing
Father in heaven, help me in the practice of Your righteousness. Lord, may my motives in Your righteousness be centered on You. I pray that You may grant me this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Daily Bible Reading
1 Kings 16-18 (see How to Read the Bible in One Year or How to Read the Bible (for Beginners))
