Do Good Quietly

Do Good Quietly 
by Max Lucado

"They love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men" (Matt. 6:5).

This is the working definition of hypocrisy: "to be seen by men." The Greek word for hypocrite, hypokrit?s, originally meant "actor." First-century actors wore masks. A hypocrite, then, is one who puts on a mask, a false face.

Jesus did not say, "Do not do good works." Nor did he instruct, "Do not let your works be seen." We must do good works, and some works, such as benevolence or teaching, must be seen in order to have an impact. So let's be clear. To do a good thing is a good thing. To do good to be seen is not. In fact, to do good to be seen is a serious offense. Here's why.

Hypocrisy turns people away from God. When God-hungry souls walk into a congregation of wannabe superstars, what happens? When God seekers see singers strut like Las Vegas entertainers . . . When they hear the preacher—a man of slick words, dress, and hair—play to the crowd and exclude God . . . When other attendees dress to be seen and make much to-do over their gifts and offerings . . . When people enter a church to see God yet can't see God because of the church, don't think for a second that God doesn't react. "Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don't make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won't be applauding" (Matt. 6:1 MSG).

Hypocrisy turns people against God. So God has a no-tolerance policy. Let the cold, lifeless bodies of the embezzling couple issue their intended warning. Let's take hypocrisy as seriously as God does. How can we?

1. Expect no credit for good deeds. None. If no one notices, you aren't disappointed. If someone does, you give the credit to God. Ask yourself this question: If no one knew of the good I do, would I still do it? If not, you're doing it to be seen by people.

2. Give financial gifts in secret. Money stirs the phony within us. We like to be seen earning it. And we like to be seen giving it. So "when you give to someone in need, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" (Matt. 6:3 NLT).

3. Don't fake spirituality. When you go to church, don't select a seat just to be seen or sing just to be heard. If you raise your hands in worship, raise holy ones, not showy ones. When you talk, don't doctor your vocabulary with trendy religious terms. Nothing nauseates more than a fake "Praise the Lord" or a shallow "Hallelujah" or an insincere "Glory be to God."

Bottom line: don't make a theater production out of your faith. "Watch me! Watch me!" is a call used on the playground, not in God's kingdom. Silence the trumpets. Cancel the parade. Enough with the name-dropping. If accolades come, politely deflect them before you believe them. Slay the desire to be noticed. Stir the desire to serve God.

Heed the counsel of Christ: "First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too" (Matt. 23:26 NLT). Focus on the inside, and the outside will take care of itself. Lay your motives before God daily, hourly. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life" (Ps. 139:23-24 NLT).

Do good things. Just don't do them to be noticed. You can be too good for your own good, you know.

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:3-4 NIV)

Lord, you make it plain in your Word that you hate hypocrisy, especially because it turns others away from you. So, Father, I pray that you would blunt my natural inclination to seek personal recognition for whatever good things you allow me to do. I don't want to be a phony, but neither do I want to be a glory hound. Fill me with your Spirit, and teach me to follow his example in gladly giving all glory to your Son. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Why Did God Lead Me Here?

Why Did God Lead Me Here?
LYSA TERKEURST

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1 (ESV)

I'm thankful I'm not the author and finisher of my faith story.

I never would have had the courage to write my story with the twists and turns it has taken. I have walked through seasons of devastation beyond what I thought I could survive. But I have also been incredibly blessed and humbled as God has proven Himself faithful beyond my ability to comprehend.

Maybe you’re in the devastatingly dark middle of an unchosen journey. One that leaves you tempted to pull away from the Lord wondering, How could a good God lead me to such a difficult place?

Oh, friend. I understand.

So does David, the shepherd destined to be king, who penned the words of Psalm 23. David’s desperately honest cry in Psalm 22:1 reveals he was well-acquainted with discouragement and despair: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?” (ESV)

Despite the agony and distress we find in Psalm 22, Psalm 23 reveals David still knew where his hope was found. This shepherd boy needed a greater Shepherd — the Lord. We do too.

So how do we keep choosing to follow our Shepherd when He leads us into valleys we’d rather avoid? We can begin by remembering these two truths about the Lord:

1) He will never lead us carelessly.

Psalm 23:1-3a paints such a serene picture: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul” (ESV).

We might imagine lush green hills like you’d find in Ireland, but David's reality was the steep, rocky, dry Judean hills. Hills that had to be carefully traveled in order to get to the water and vegetation waiting in the valleys below.

Shepherds leading their flocks also had to be cautious about the timing of their trips. Hard rains could quickly lead to flash floods in a gorge. When a shepherd knew a storm was coming, he wouldn't allow the sheep to be down in the gorge because they’d drown, but waited patiently until the storm passed before leading his flock down to drink. So not only did sheep have to trust where the shepherd was leading them; they had to trust the when of his leading.

Our Shepherd wants to get us to the still waters. He wants us to lie down and rest where it's safe. But we have to trust that His timing is perfect and His provision is good.

2) He will always lead us intentionally.

The end of Psalm 23:3 says, "He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3b, ESV).The very reputation of the Lord is at stake in His leading. That means we can trust He will always lead us in perfect ways — for our goodness and for the sake of His name.

A friend of mine who lives in Israel says the phrase “paths of righteousness” can actually be described as circles of righteousness. It's like circular paths going around the mountain. If you were to try to travel straight up and over a mountain, that would be incredibly hard and potentially deadly. So, when a good shepherd would lead the flock, he would travel around the mountain, maybe even in a zig-zag pattern that formed a picture of circles around the mountain because that was the safest path.

Another interesting fact is that the Hebrew word for “paths” refers to well-worn paths or deep ruts that are actually good ruts, important because they marked the safest paths. While these paths could be formed by one shepherd over time, it's more likely they were formed by other shepherds who’d gone before — generations of shepherds wisely walking the same paths. Even today, you can literally look at the hills in Israel and see paths the shepherds have been walking for generations.

I wonder, What deep ruts or paths have you created in your life of regularly walking with God? What deep, positive places have others forged that you can follow? I encourage you to remind yourself of those paths, of those regular rhythms of your relationship with God.

These paths of righteousness are good because they always circle back to God. Let’s keep walking those paths daily and let them lead us back to Him, again and again.

If you’re in a low valley right now, gracious do I ever know what that looks and feels like. But let me speak life into your worn-out, broken down, hurting heart. I’ve lived the horrors where I couldn't see any way out. But there’s always a way with God.

Stay close to Him. Stay close to people who love Him. And He will make a miraculous way. One you couldn’t have imagined, but one that is perfectly timed and planned.

Heavenly Father, even when my heart is hurting … even when I don’t understand what You’re doing … I’m choosing to trust Your love for me. I’m choosing to follow Jesus, the Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep. The One who willingly died for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 23:4, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (ESV)

The Wisdom of Right Relationships

The Wisdom of Right Relationships

By Dr. Charles Stanley

Hebrews 10:23-24

The subject of positive relationships is near to my heart because God has provided me with such good friends. These are the people who challenge me to do more for the Lord. My friends love me, but they certainly aren’t content to let me stay as I am! If they spot a sin in my life or see something I could do better, they say so.

Paul gave relationships a high priority too. The apostle surrounded himself with people who could help him achieve two things: fulfillment of his God-given mission and conformity to Christlikeness. While Paul was pouring himself into the lives of others, he was being built up and strengthened by his fellow believers. That, in brief, is the Lord’s plan for every one of His children.

What about you? Do you have certain relationships that motivate you to pursue God more fervently? It does matter whom we allow to influence our lives. The Father equips your brothers and sisters to invest in you—to encourage you, to pray for you, and to prod you toward a more complete faith—so that you are prepared to devote yourself to serving others. Good relationships with people who build each other up can help believers fulfill God’s plan for their lives.

The finest relationships are between people who want to see each other succeed in faith and therefore “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Heb. 10:24, niv). In other words, our best friends are those who love us as we are but never cease to challenge us to be better for the Lord