Why? I mean, is Jesus telling us it's bad to receive acknowledgement from others? No. He's not. It's okay to receive approval from man. What's not okay is to only want approval from man. To believe that's where our identity and reward lie. To allow that approval to be our motivation in doing what God has called us to do. None of that is okay.
You see, God is a jealous God--but he's also a God who loves us lavishly. All he wants is for our motivations and desires to center on him. So he cautions us to do things quietly so that we don't fall into the trap of pleasing man rather than him. What amazed me in these verses is what Jesus said three times to people who have fallen into that trap:
"I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get..."
In other words, sure, they'll receive the accolades of man, but that is all they will ever receive. But to those who quietly go about what they're doing with only pleasing God in mind he says this:
"And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you."
Friends, if we have a choice between receiving the accolades of man verses the rewards of Christ, why would we ever choose man? God's rewards far outweigh man's. They are eternal. And they are SO much better than anything man can give, so why would we want to miss them? Because, take note, while Jesus isn't saying we will miss out on the rewards of man when we seek to please only God, he is saying we'll miss out on the rewards of God when all we seek is to please man.
So today when you embark on what God has called you to, fix your eyes on him and only him. Trust me, you don't want to miss what he has for you!
A good reminder!
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