Daily Devotion: Genuine Motives

Scripture:
Matthew 6:1-6

Main Verse:
Matthew 6: 1
Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

Observation:
The Lord taught 3 spiritual habits that every Christian must practice in Matthew 6, and these are the habit of giving, praying, and fasting. It is worth noting that these disciplines are mandatory, and is expected of every Christian because the Lord started verses 2, 5, and 16 with the word "when" and not "if." Therefore, these are things that we ought to fulfill in our lives. But when we do all of these things, we must always search our heart and check our motives, as what the Lord warns us in verse 1 of Matthew 6.

Application:
I was initially hesitant to post my daily devotion on my blog and on social media. I was worried about what other people might think of my motives, my intentions for publishing my journal. It's been four months since I first started publishing my devotional, and I'm thankful to the Lord for the wisdom and insights that He shares with me whenever I study and meditate in His Word. I no longer care about what others think about my posts. All I care about now is how the Lord will use my writings to let others know more about the God that I serve, to encourage others, to comfort a grieving spirit, or to bring blessings of hope and love to my family, friends, and even to strangers. When our motives are right, the Lord will channel his blessings to others through us. He wants us to be the Salt and the Light of this world.

Prayer:
Lord, I am thankful for every sentence, every phrase, and every word that you share to me through your Word. May I be mindful at all times of my motives when I write and share my daily devotions. Search my heart, Lord, and show me how I can be of service to others, and how I can help my family and friends to know more about your great love and compassion. This I pray in Jesus's name. AMEN.