Right Action, Wrong Reason

When I first began blogging I noticed a shift in my reading when I was in the Word. I was actively searching for messages I could write about that would catch people’s attention. I was looking deeper into my message than the message God was giving to me. I realized I was doing the right thing by being in the Word, but my intentions were completely off.

Another example of doing the right action for the wrong reason is the deeds we do. Have you ever done a good deed and wanted to tell someone about it? You thought, “well, I don’t want to toot my own horn, but they should know how great of a person I really am.” You mentioned it, you got the praise for it, but was it really a genuine deed? Matthew 6:1-2 states “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.  When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.” God again and again tells us that He sees everything we do, and that we will gain no reward by boasting about it to others.

When I think of those who work out of love, I think of my own mother. There are stories I hear about her that she would never in a million years tell me. My moms best friend told me a story about how my mom went to the store and was so tired from her chemo treatment that she sat down on a bench. Instead of wallowing in her own pain, she noticed a lonely woman next to her. Turns out this woman was stuck at the store and my mom gave her a ride to the place she needed to get to. Knowing my mom, she would have never mentioned that she was sick because all of her focus was on this woman.

My mom taught me so much about the importance of genuine giving and the importance of keeping your deeds to yourself. Whether that was sitting in a car with strangers as we gave them rides (she did this often!), or visiting those who were lonely, she made a huge impact in my life, and those around her. She made others her motive instead of placing her own self on a pedestal.

What are you doing today that you are doing for the wrong reason? How can you go about changing this? Remind yourself of Matthew 22:37-40 as it states, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

It’s important to re-evaluate your life and your motives. Whether it’s what you do on social media, or your actions towards others, it’s rewarding to take a step back and ask yourself why you are doing what you are doing. If it’s not all for our Heavenly Father, then begin praying about how you can make the right changes in your life today to be diverted in the right direction.