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.
Matthew 6:1
Father, help me not to be that person who does the right things to be seen. Instead, enable me to follow after You and do Your will when others are not watching. I confess that I am easily drawn into this world’s idea of what it means to be successful, influential, and thriving. And when I am entangled in that snare, I quickly find myself desiring to “show” folks that I am all of the above, especially as it pertains to things of You. As a result there are instances when I do things hoping that folks will see me do them in order to get that proverbial pat on the back or to be seen as someone who is a “spiritual giant”.
Yet, I know that nothing is further from the truth! Though I have walked with You a while I am still learning, often feeling like I am a babe in Christ. Even now I am being reminded that it is not about what I do as much as why I do it. Help me today to get past this desire to be “seen” as saved and help me just to live as saved! Help me to not be concerned about what others think about me but instead be consumed about what You think of me. Help me to govern my steps, as Paul declared, even more in the absence of onlookers, working out my salvation reverently before You, confident that You are at work in me (Philippians 2:12-13). It was that tension that he exposes in those verses that I seek to overcome, realizing that I am doing what I do not to impress others but to serve You.
Father, tt is my aim to please You. I’m not here to impress anyone else. Continue to purge my heart of the world’s influence that I might pursue You and You alone, that You might be glorified in me and through me in Jesus’ Name. Amen.