Have you noticed since the rise of social media that it seems like no good deed goes unpublished? People constantly are saying on their social media accounts "Look at me, look what I can do, look how AWESOME I am! But in the Kingdom, is this what we're supposed to be doing? If you've done good deeds, and no one is around to take a picture and post it on Social media, did it really happen? (Yes, yes it did). Let God who sees in Secret honor you in secret. Glorify God, THAT is its own reward! Are you suffering, and is someone putting you down? Posting it and talking about it publicly won't make it any better! Then give it to the Lord privately, and love them publicly. Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you! Glorify God, THAT is it's own reward! Jesus says (In Matthew 6): 1“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
Note in the passage below that the Sheep did not know they were even doing good works. We're not saved by good works, we're saved by Grace through Faith in Jesus. Works are good, and, indeed, necessary, but not in the way we think. God is not keeping a holy check box that, every time we do something good, it earns us another step toward the Kingdom, rather, works are a sign of a life changed by Grace through Faith! They're a byproduct of being saved, not the means by which we are saved. Instead, in all you do, give glory to God that He is alive, moving, and working through You. Let Him have all the glory, and step away from the spotlight.
Matthew 25
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[f] you did it to me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Footnotes:
Matthew 25:40 Or brothers and sisters
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