Week Six: Where is MY future?

Thursday, April 10th:  Week Six

Lent is an opportunity for us to examine our normal "Christ-like" behaviors to ensure that they are truly "Christ-like."  If they are, we thank God and look more deeply at other areas.  If they are not, we ask God to fix us up so that our future is secure and God is indeed pleased with us.

Week Six:  Where is MY future?

Scripture Focus:  Matthew 6:1-2

Objective:  To perform a spiritual check-in with Jesus--am I pleasing God?

As we continue in our effort to move from saying to doing as Christians, we must be willing to examine even our best behaviors and ask God: "am I pleasing You?"

Jesus said:

Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.  If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.  So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  -Matthew 6:1-2 NIV

Last week we asked ourselves "do we represent God well".  This question is plagued with the responsibility of us looking at how we treat one another and the type of fruit we bear.  Based on those main two objectives, we can determine the answer to last week's question, and I pray that the challenge was met to improve our fruit.  However, as we approach Palm Sunday,  I believe it is important to examine our future.  Am I securing my future with God through my righteousness (right behavior) or am I simply striving to impress people?  Jesus urges us that right behavior does not secure our future but our motives must be pure as well.  Giving to the needy is the example that Christ gives; however, we can apply this to all of the right behaviors that God impresses upon us.  In short:  when we do what we are expected  to do we should not expect people to pat us on the back.  Instead, do it in a way that seems like you're trying to keep the juiciest secret.  It is not because you don't want others to know.  It is because our Father is the one who has the true reward.  Jesus says if we get the trumpets blown here, there will be no need of a reward in heaven.

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:

Examine our righteousness (right behavior) and make sure that we are not boasting for the world to see.  Our motivation is that it is pleasing to God, and since God sees it first-He will provide the reward!

PRAYER:

Most Holy God, we thank You for keeping us during this Lenten season.  As we enter week six, help us to be ever mindful that You have the best reward for us and it is locked within our future.  Help us to please you instead of impressing each other through our righteousness.  Show us where we seek earthly compliments and incline our hearts to seek heavenly reward!  We thank You for loving us enough to show us where our right can go wrong so that we might seek You for correction and strength.  In Jesus' name, Amen.