Motivation

"'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. But when you give to someone in need, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.


"'When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.'"


Matthew 6:1-5

Our motivations matter a lot to God, and they determine the kind of reward we will receive. Jesus assumes we're always motivated to seek a reward .We may like to think we're "above" motivation for reward. We're not. We always seek a payoff. The question is, reward from whom? If from other people, then whatever they give us is what we get. If we seek reward from God and do everything for "an audience of One," then God himself pledges to reward us. What kind of rewards do you seek for the things you do, even spiritual things like prayer?
—Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions

Motivation comes from the heart.  I believe that Jesus is reminding us here that our primary motivation should be to please God.  And as we go about doing good works, giving, or praying, we should keep a low profile...not seeking or desiring earthly rewards or attention for ourselves, but instead seek first to please God.  Our lives should be a beacon of hope and light to the world through which God shines...a heart that seeks reward and attention for itself only dims that light.  We are not to draw attention to ourselves for our own sakes. Instead our motivation should be to point others to Jesus Christ regardless of whether we will be rewarded or not!   And, if God chooses to reward us in the here and now, let's thankfully accept those rewards with grace and humility, using them to point others to the ONE who is so very deserving.

In His Love, Cathy