The Right Motivation
Many people struggle heavily with pride. They want to make money, they want the attention on them, they look out for themselves and how they can advance themselves. One of the most popular careers that people pursue today is being a social media influencer. People want to be seen and recognized as an influence in how people live. The motivation is to be seen by others and set trends that the rest of society follows. Jesus teaches us about what our motivation should be. If we look back in Matthew 5:13-16, he calls Christians to a life of good works that glorify God. We are to be seen by others, but we should not be the focus; God should be. As we move into Matthew 6:1-8; 16-18, we find that Jesus again teaches on motivation.
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
- Matthew 6:1-8, 16-18 ESV
The very first word that we read as we dig into this passage is the word “beware.” As we think about this word, I want to think about it in this way: Jesus is teaching us to watch the way we live. We are to be aware, be weary, pay attention to why we do the things that we do. We are to live in a manner that is righteous and humble, not seeking the attention for ourselves but giving glory to God. We are not to practice our Christian living for the purpose of personal advancement, success, promotion, or fame. We are to walk as a Christian, practicing righteousness to glorify God, promote Him, make Him famous. It may be tempting to seek the reward of the attention that is given to us when others notice us and continue to pursue that reward so that we become the focus. However, that is what Jesus is warning us of as he teaches us to be aware of why we live Christian lives. And he says that there is a reward, given by God, that those whose motivation remains holy.
Within these verses, Jesus then goes and gives three examples of what practicing one’s righteousness with a right motivation looks like. He uses the example first of giving. Second, Jesus looks at the example of prayer. And in Matthew 6:16-18, Jesus uses the example of fasting. It is in these three examples that we can find the principle of living righteous lives not to be seen by others, or not to promote ourselves, is lived out.
Giving is something that we all should be doing. In fact, in giving, we are reflecting the love of God as Christ gave his life out of love (John 3:16; John 15:12-13). In our giving, we must be careful not to become prideful. In Mark 12:41-44, we encounter the story of the widow and her two mites. This story came after Jesus had observed others giving and making a clamor so that others would notice. It would be like me walking around waving a $100 bill before placing it in the collection basket on Sunday morning. But, the widow gives silently and sacrificially. Not drawing attention to herself, she gives all she has. Jesus teaches the importance of not living a life that says, “look at me and how good I am,” but rather a life that says, “what giving are you talking about?”
Prayer is his next thing that Jesus begins to use as an example of living a life with the right motivation, and he does so in two different ways. First, he refers to the hypocrites who pray on the street corners. In the Jewish culture, there was a time of prayer and at the same time, every day, everyone would pray at the same time. Some would intentionally go and stand on the street corner and pray as loudly as they could so that others could hear them and give them props for an eloquent prayer that sounded super righteous. These hypocrites prayed so that they would receive attention and not honor God with their prayer. Jesus teaches that if there is intention to be somewhere to pray, it should be the inner room where no one can see you. Take some private time with God as he can see what you do wherever you do it. Second, Jesus refers to the Gentiles who use many words. A prayer doesn’t need to be such that it is long and drawn out; it can be simple and short. The important part is that God is honored and lifted up as the focus.
Fasting is the final example. Jesus very clearly explains what the hypocrites would do when they would fast. As they would make it clear that they were not eating by adjusting their figure. Jesus teaches that they do this so that they receive attention. It is the attention from others that in each of these examples is the reward for the one who seeks that attention. Jesus, however, teaches that there is a greater reward for the one who doesn’t seek that attention. The one who makes their motivation the glorification of God and doesn’t parade around what they do is rewarded by God.
It is easy to want to have the attention on ourselves. However, in our service to God, seen or unseen by others, we ought to be glorifying God. We live to serve Him, not ourselves and our desires. As we serve God, others will notice, and it is important that we continually point to God and give Him the honor and glory that He deserves.