One kind word can change someone’s entire day.
The righteousness of an act is determined not by the intrinsic value of the act, but rather by the motivation for the act. Righteousness is not to be confused with efficacy or value. Giving a piece of what we own, whether physically or a spiritual gift, should become a congruent piece of our daily routines.
Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 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. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-4)
This teaching includes a preemptive warning of the danger that awaits those who perform good deeds without the correct motivation; it develops into a judgment straight from the Son of Man’s mouth.
Who is rewarding you?
If the answer is you, your reward has been paid in full. God has the only right to judge and the only right to ultimately reward.
“Withhold not good from those to whom it is due [its rightful owners], when it is in the power of your hand to do it.” – Proverbs 3:27 AMPC
Search your heart again for the motivation of your actions in all aspects of your life.
