For His Glory Not Your Own

"Watch out! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven." -Matthew 6:1(NLT)

This Bible verse is very clear: We are to do good for His glory, not our own.

What we do in the way of good deeds, we do out of our love for God and out of our lives lived out in faith to God. "Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others" simply means we are not to do good deeds to receive the applause and approval of men. If we do good deeds to be seen, to receive the applause and approval of men, that is the only reward we will receive, and then, we lose the reward from God. Knowing this, let us resolve to do everything for the glory of God to be seen of Him, to seek His approval. In pleasing God and bringing glory to Him, we will receive the blessing He has for us.

The Word of God, in Galatians 6:14(NLT), states, "As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died." If our boast is to be in anything, then our boast should be in the cross, not in what we do.

Heavenly Father, You are my God, and I will put my hope and my trust in You. My faith is in You alone. You are the only One whose approval I need to seek and the only One I need to please. Father, help me to always remember that my boast is to be in the cross of Jesus Christ, not in anything I do, and when I do good deeds, I am to do those good works for Your glory. I ask that You let me be a blessing to others and to continue using me for Your glory. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Linda Agnes Knowles

Executive Director

Thread of Hope, Inc.