Matthew 6:1

“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.”

Take heed means: to be careful, adhere to, be watchful to obey, be mindful to listen. Jesus is calling my attention to something easily overlooked or taken for granted and that is the motive for which we do our good deeds. The reason we do what we do is more important than what we do. God’s primary concern in this matter is not the volume or the magnitude of what we do, but why we do what we do. If the motive is pure, then there is a reward. If the motive is for self-recognition and self-glory, then such a motive is impure and unacceptable before God, and there will be no reward.

Recheck your motives. Check if you secretly desire to be honored, recognized and applauded. Check if there’s a bit of sorrow or offense when your good is not duly acknowledged, and you are not publicly appreciated for what you did. Check deep within, and you will find out the real motive for doing what you do. Jesus is calling us to be careful and watchful so that we ensure that we don’t do our righteous practices or good deeds for public show and public approval. If we do this, we are operating under the power of self and the old nature. God will never recognize or reward anything originating from that source.

“Father, I confess that I have been acting out of the old nature because I have often desired the recognition for the deeds I have done. I admit that I di