Last night I saw an old friend
During the course of our conversation,
I patted myself on the back about something
While this doesn’t sound significant
I think it was significant
The reason I say that is because
it was a difficult thing that I refrained from doing
And I was telling my friend
so that he would think I was better than the other person
Afterward, I examined my motives
God knows the thoughts and the intents of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12)
When I was talking to my friend, in a way, it sort of spilled
but in another way, I let it happen
I could’ve stopped it
I could’ve been quiet
or changed the direction of what I was saying
to avoid sharing that particular situation
and how I had withheld the wonderful thing I didn’t do
I tell you, they have their reward
The New Living Translation says: I tell you the truth,
that is all the reward they will ever get. Matthew 6:5b
I’m familiar with that scripture and immediately,
after I said it, even while I was saying it, I knew
This morning, I was bothered by what I had said,
I was bothered last night as well,
but hadn’t given it much thought last night
This morning, I asked the Lord to show me my motives
He did
I asked Jesus about my reward
Because I know His word says,
“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men,
to be seen of them:
otherwise ye have no reward
of your Father which is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:1
He said to me, “You have done what you have done. Come follow Me. “
In other words, you can’t undo what you did.
My word says what it says.
You received your reward,
which wasn’t a reward at all.
Pick up your cross and carry on
Earlier, I was even trying to imagine what a heavenly reward
for that situation might look like.
Like I said, it was significant.
I couldn’t in my imagination
think of what a heavenly reward might even look like.
I know it would have been beautiful
and more amazing than I could ever imagine.
“For since the beginning of the world men have not heard,
nor perceived by the ear,
neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee,
what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.” Isaiah 64:4
I’m telling you this so I can be the object of the lesson
that we should not seek the praise of humans or earthly rewards.
What you do, do in humility before God
and God who sees in secret will reward you openly.
“That thine alms may be in secret:
and thy Father which seeth in secret
himself shall reward thee openly.” Matthew 6:4
The praise of men is empty and vain.
“Labour not for the meat which perisheth,
but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life,
which the Son of man shall give unto you:
for him hath God the Father sealed.” John 6:27
Scriptural References:
And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? Matthew 9:4