“…take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have received your reward from your Father in heaven…” —Matthew 6:1 (NKJV)
I always tell people, “I will never be able to fully pay you back for your labor of love, but my God will reward you greatly.” This is the way I feel about any good deed or service a man offers to me. I am very certain that it is not easy to fully reward anyone, especially for their labor of love. No amount of money I pay for their service will be sufficient to merit the efforts put in. But a truth that we must all come to know is that God is the one who rewards the laborer, and He knows how great a reward you deserve, so He gives the perfect reward. Now, what does this mean? It means every man who happens to do good deeds should take heed and not expect the recognition of others. In most cases, when people recognize and applaud your deeds, that is all the reward you will get, especially if your focus was on their recognition. But there is a greater reward than the recognition of men, and that is God’s reward, which is far more valuable than gold or silver.
Understanding that God’s rewards are better will help us serve better and carry out our deeds without looking at human imperfections. Because sometimes we could get hurt when people don’t praise us the way they should for the efforts we put in or when they make our efforts seem casual. Many tend to get angry. Sometimes you hear people say, “I will never help that person again; she doesn’t value what I am doing for her,” or someone could say, “After all I have done for you, this is how you repay my good deeds?” People continue to disappoint those who rendered them help and are considered ungrateful. So should the good deeds stop? Certainly not! I gave money to a beggar on the street who never said thank you but rather stretched out his hand to ask for more, indicating that the one I gave was not enough. But will I then stop giving alms to the poor? Should I stop rendering aid to a man in need in his hour of need for fear that he may not repay me well? Repayment or recognition should not be our consideration or motivation for carrying out good deeds. The Bible says, “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.” Proverbs 19:17 (NKJV) So let your focus stay on God as you carry out your deeds, and forget what man has to say about it. Hallelujah!
Today’s Rhema
God’s rewards are better; focus on that!
Confession for the Day
Dear Heavenly Father! I thank you for putting in me a heart of love that caters to the needs of others. As I carry out my good deeds, I do them not because of men but on your behalf, and I trust that You are the best rewarder of my every good deed. Praise God!
