A Matter Of Motives

A Matter of Motives

Read: Matthew 5:14-16; 6:1-4

“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:16

“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them.”

Matthew 6:1

“Do you attract attention toward or away from God?”

—Anonymous

IN WORD How are we to reconcile these two commands? On the one hand, Jesus tells us to let others see our good works. A few verses later, He tells us not to do our good works for others to see. What’s the difference?

Motive is the key. Many people do their acts of righteousness in order to bring praise to themselves. It’s a hollow righteousness that may earn compliments and status, but it’s nothing that God will honor. It comes not from a love for God or from genuine faith, but from a need to be accepted by others. Such acts imply that these folks are not convinced of God’s acceptance of them in Christ—they must try to earn love elsewhere.

But truly righteous acts come from hearts that seek God’s glory—and God’s glory should never be hidden. Those who do good works with a right heart never point to themselves. They point to God, and are glad to do so. Their works cause others to marvel at God’s grace and power, not a human being’s goodness.

IN DEED It’s a constant temptation to cross that line and begin doing things for our own glory. We must examine our motives for the good things we do, and we must also examine the stage on which we do them. Do we seek God’s glory? Are we realistic enough to know that anything good coming out of our lives comes from His grace and mercy and not from our own purity or ingenuity? Are we concerned that the “important” people see? The rewards of heaven are reserved for those who are background players to the glory of God. We must magnify others’ view of Him without drawing attention to ourselves.