Today's Verse: Matthew 6:1

Sunday, August 17, 1947

Be careful not to do your "acts of righteousness" before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
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Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Why do we do the things we do? What is the motivation for our behavior as a Christian person? It's so easy to fall into the trap of doing religious things so that we will look good to others - especially to our spiritual friends. This is true even when culture reacts negatively to our faith. Those around us who know about our faith and the Christians around us become the target of our good behaviors. While we want to influence everyone around us, we must never make our decisions about spiritual service based on being seen by others to be honored by them because of it. Our goal must be to honor God and bless others!

My Prayer...

Almighty God, please purify my heart of any false motivation and help me serve others based on their need and my desire to honor you in helping them. In Jesus' name, I ask for this help. Amen.

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Illustration

Illustration of Matthew 6:1 — Be careful not to do your "acts of righteousness" before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

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About This Devotional

Today's Verse is a free daily devotional that includes a Bible verse, thought and prayer.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.