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.
Matthew 6:1 NIV
Practising righteousness before God requires careful attention to motive rather than public approval. In Matthew 6:1, Jesus warns believers not to display righteous acts for attention. Instead, He calls for a quiet devotion that seeks God alone. This teaching challenges believers to reflect deeply on why they give, pray, and fast. Therefore, righteousness begins in the heart before it appears in action.
Jesus identifies giving to the needy, prayer, and fasting as expressions of righteousness. However, these practices lose their spiritual value when performed to impress others. Instead, our righteousness must flow naturally from a right relationship with Christ. Believers are to practise these disciplines as part of daily devotion rather than public display. Moreover, Scripture shows that righteous living expresses obedience rather than religious performance.
Giving, in particular, reflects unity with God and responsiveness to His prompting. God entrusts resources to believers and then presents opportunities to meet real needs. Therefore, giving expresses compassion and fellowship rather than personal ambition. We are to give from what God has already provided, not to manipulate Him for gain. Although God promises reward, Scripture warns against making reward the primary motivation.
God sees every sincere act and acknowledges it in His own time. Acting only for reward reveals an unhealthy heart posture and distorts righteousness. Nevertheless, Scripture affirms that God faithfully rewards obedience rooted in sincerity. Because of this, we must rest in God’s recognition rather than human praise. Ultimately, divine acknowledgement carries far greater value than public applause.
Righteousness functions as a lifestyle rather than isolated good deeds. While the world may label these actions as moral behaviour, righteousness flows from intimacy with Christ. As a result, good deeds become inevitable rather than forced. Giving, prayer, and fasting then reflect right standing before God instead of attempts to earn approval.
The Passion Translation highlights the importance of examining motives before acting. “Examine your motives to make sure you’re not showing off when you do your good deeds, only to be admired by others; otherwise, you will lose the reward of your heavenly Father.” (TPT) God warns against announcing good deeds for admiration or celebration. Therefore, we must ask why we act, not merely whether others see us. Honest self-examination protects the heart from pride and self-promotion. Practising righteousness before God always demands continual motive-checking.
Living It Out
Take time today to examine your motives before God. Practise giving, prayer, and fasting quietly and sincerely. Ask God to purify your intentions and align your heart with His will.