hiding your holiness

Jesus shares with us in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Good words. We ARE the only Jesus that some will ever see.

But then, he practically does a "180" by telling us (later on in his sermon) in Matthew 4,6,17,18, to "give your gifts in secret". "When you pray, go away by yourselves..pray to your father secretly." "When you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will suspect you are fasting, except your father, who knows what you do in secret."

What's up? How can we let our light shine before men and at the same time we are supposed to be doing all of our good deeds in secret?

Good question....I'm glad you asked.

Here's what I have learned - in Matthew 5 Jesus is referring to works of service that benefit others.

In Matthew 6, Jesus is talking about spiritual devotion that, when done publicly, tends to glorify ourselves.

With giving, prayer and fasting, God wants us to practice these spiritual disciplines quietly, without fanfare and with out self-congratulations.

The temptation to be hypocritical is high in God's kingdom.

It's like the story of the police officer who pulled a driver aside and asked for his license and registration. "What's wrong, officer," the driver asked. "I didn't go through any red lights, and I certainly wasn't speeding."

"No, you weren't," said the officer, "but I saw you waving your fist as you swerved around the lady driving in the left lane, and I further observed your flushed and angry face as you shouted at the driver of the Hummer who cut you off, and how you pounded your steering wheel when the traffic came to a stop near the bridge."

"Is that a crime, officer?"

"No, but when I saw the ‘Jesus loves you and so do I’ bumper sticker on the car, I figured this car had to be stolen."

Who are we praying for? Who are we giving for? Who are we fasting for? The praise of men? Or the praise of God?

Holiness is always a matter of the heart. It is from the inside out. We can't legislate holiness. It always begins on the inside - with an attitude.

But then...it is shown through our actions. So perhaps, just perhaps, it comes down to a matter of motivation.