It's all you, is it?

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. (Matthew 6:6 ESV)

Jesus said this to his disciples to illustrate the pride of the Pharisees and others who stood on street corners and the temple's steps praying loudly, not to the glory of God but to themselves. “Look at me! I am praying!” This is not what the Father wants.

Our prayers are a direct line to God, a personal conversation between us and Him. As Jesus often did, we should seek solitude to foster this intimate connection in our prayers.

This idea does not stop with prayer. Jesus, in Matthew again, also told us, “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” (6:3). Our service to the Lord needs to be done with humility. When we brag about what we do in the name of the Lord, we display pride, which God sees as a sin. We glorify ourselves, not the Father as he intended. Unfortunately, this is an issue with many who call themselves Christians and churches that profess to follow the gospel.

Many missions are completed that involve money. Churches may go to another country and throw thousands of dollars at a planted church or town yet preach nothing of the gospel. It is all about works and not the Word. Anytime I see a church that, outside the congregation, boasts about the amount of money it spends on works, my first question is how many people were saved. How many people who never heard the Word of God heard it, read it, and learned how to live it?

Our existence and service are not about us. A brother at worship last week reminded me not to exhaust myself in service but to be steady and conscious about my time with God. A reminder to take time in solitude to recharge my batteries. What a great point that is easy to forget.

At the heart of Christianity is the understanding that it is not about the Christian; it is about God. Our service is not about us, but about God. Our prayers are not for our own glory, but for God. It is crucial to remember this, as many will knock only to hear, “I never knew you” (Matt 7:23). Let us not find ourselves in the dark, surrounded by the grinding and gnashing of teeth. Let us give the glory to God; it is He who deserves it, even from a pile of dirty rags. Soli Deo Gloria!

Grace and Peace!