“In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:16, NLT)
“You want to make a difference in your world? Live a holy life:
Be faithful to your spouse.
Be the one at the office who refuses to cheat.
Be the neighbor who acts neighborly.
Be the employee who does the work and doesn’t complain.
Pay your bills.
Do your part and enjoy life.
Don’t speak one message and live another.
People are watching the way we act more than they are listening to what we say.” (p. 79, Grace for the Moment).
In the 1980’s, I went to a lay ministry seminar. The purpose of the gathering was to share what pastors and laypeople can do to further the gospel message. The intent of the gathering was to empower laypeople and their pastors to make a difference in their world. If pastors are faithful, it is often expected. However, when a layperson lives a holy life, it becomes exceptional. Others take notice. At that seminar, I met John Maxwell. We even prayed together. His message for the gathering has stayed with me for all these years. He preached: “People don’t want to know how much you know until they know how much you care.” His message reflected the theme for the seminar in that the best form of evangelism and ministry and faith is a life lived out with loving care.
People need to see what it means to live faithfully. Proverbs and analogies and interesting sermons don’t touch the lives of others as much as people seeing your faith in action.
A family was cruising down the highway in their old van, heading home after a visit to the hospital several hours away. They had been at the hospital to see “Granny”, who was dying from cancer. The kids were overly quiet on the ride back from the hospital. Dad was at the wheel of the van, but anyone could tell his mind was not always focused on the road ahead. Mom kept watch over everything inside and outside the van, knowing her husband was dealing with a lot that day. And then, the tire blew out.
With the van pulled on the side of the highway, dad proceeded to jack up the car and take off the flat tire. Then, as he pulled the spare off the back of the van, he realized that it too was deflated. The family was stranded there on the highway. Dad felt like crying. Mom was nervous. The kids could tell something was wrong. Following dad’s lead, the family walked down the highway toward a house a half mile away.
When the family arrived at the door to the house, the children were frightened. The day had been hectic. Dad’s tears at the hospital had bothered the older two girls. When dad knocked on the door, an old, disheveled man answered the door. His hair stuck up in all directions. It looked like he had been asleep. From behind him, an older woman yelled, “Who is it at the door, Walter?” Before he had a chance to talk to the father at the door, he shouted back, “Give me a second, Jill, will ya! I haven’t even talked to them yet.” Jill asked from the other room, “Talked to who?” Walter didn’t answer. He turned and said to the father, “What’s up?”
After the father relayed their situation and bemoaned the flat tires, the man asked the family to come inside. It was cold and windy that day. Stepping inside the old farmhouse, the children went eerily silent. The moment was awkward. Fear crept into the stranded parents. Then, Walter’s wife, Jill, spoke comforting words, “I bet you are cold! Look, I’ve just finished baking Christmas cookies! They are still warm! Would you kids like one? How about Mom and Dad?”
That broke the ice. Walter owned a kit to plug a flat tire. He located it out in the barn. He and the father took care of the flat and re-inflated both tires. Just before the family left the farm to get back to their van, the father said to Walter and his wife, “You two are church-goers aren’t you?” Jill smiled and said, “I’m glad you could tell!” All prayed together in the front room before the stranded family continued their journey home. As the van chugged down the road again, the father thanked God for letting them break down at the perfect moment... near Walter and Jill.
To this day, the father and mother don’t cringe when thinking about that breakdown on the highway. Instead, you will catch them smiling!
When faithful people exhibit God’s love, it changes everything. Pressures are eased. Worried souls are put at rest. People find hope and healing and safety and love.
In Mathew 5:16, Jesus taught the crowds gathered, “… let your good deeds shine out for all to see”. Jesus didn’t say this so that those who heeded his words would look good, be praised for their greatness, or feel pride. Instead, Jesus wanted faithful people to do these good deeds “so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:16b). You should not do good things in your own life just to impress others or to get something in return. You goal should be that when you do good deeds God gets the glory.
It is not uncommon in these modern times for people seek a reward when doing great things. Often, when worldly people do great things, they would love to have TV cameras recording the event. They would love the news vans to be present. So many people today thrive on “likes” and “thumbs up” and “kudos” on social media. Fewer and fewer do good deeds so that God gets the glory.
How about you? Are you content for God to get the glory for the good things you accomplish? Are you willing to stay out of the limelight so that God is the one who is praised? Can people tell you are a Christian by your love? Do people smile when thinking about the things you’ve done?
Be faithful to your spouse.
Be the one at the office who refuses to cheat.
Be the neighbor who acts neighborly.
Be the employee who does the work and doesn’t complain.
Pay your bills.
Do your part and enjoy life.
Don’t speak one message and live another.
People are watching the way we act more than they are listening to what we say.” (p. 79, Grace for the Moment).
In the 1980’s, I went to a lay ministry seminar. The purpose of the gathering was to share what pastors and laypeople can do to further the gospel message. The intent of the gathering was to empower laypeople and their pastors to make a difference in their world. If pastors are faithful, it is often expected. However, when a layperson lives a holy life, it becomes exceptional. Others take notice. At that seminar, I met John Maxwell. We even prayed together. His message for the gathering has stayed with me for all these years. He preached: “People don’t want to know how much you know until they know how much you care.” His message reflected the theme for the seminar in that the best form of evangelism and ministry and faith is a life lived out with loving care.
People need to see what it means to live faithfully. Proverbs and analogies and interesting sermons don’t touch the lives of others as much as people seeing your faith in action.
A family was cruising down the highway in their old van, heading home after a visit to the hospital several hours away. They had been at the hospital to see “Granny”, who was dying from cancer. The kids were overly quiet on the ride back from the hospital. Dad was at the wheel of the van, but anyone could tell his mind was not always focused on the road ahead. Mom kept watch over everything inside and outside the van, knowing her husband was dealing with a lot that day. And then, the tire blew out.
With the van pulled on the side of the highway, dad proceeded to jack up the car and take off the flat tire. Then, as he pulled the spare off the back of the van, he realized that it too was deflated. The family was stranded there on the highway. Dad felt like crying. Mom was nervous. The kids could tell something was wrong. Following dad’s lead, the family walked down the highway toward a house a half mile away.
When the family arrived at the door to the house, the children were frightened. The day had been hectic. Dad’s tears at the hospital had bothered the older two girls. When dad knocked on the door, an old, disheveled man answered the door. His hair stuck up in all directions. It looked like he had been asleep. From behind him, an older woman yelled, “Who is it at the door, Walter?” Before he had a chance to talk to the father at the door, he shouted back, “Give me a second, Jill, will ya! I haven’t even talked to them yet.” Jill asked from the other room, “Talked to who?” Walter didn’t answer. He turned and said to the father, “What’s up?”
After the father relayed their situation and bemoaned the flat tires, the man asked the family to come inside. It was cold and windy that day. Stepping inside the old farmhouse, the children went eerily silent. The moment was awkward. Fear crept into the stranded parents. Then, Walter’s wife, Jill, spoke comforting words, “I bet you are cold! Look, I’ve just finished baking Christmas cookies! They are still warm! Would you kids like one? How about Mom and Dad?”
That broke the ice. Walter owned a kit to plug a flat tire. He located it out in the barn. He and the father took care of the flat and re-inflated both tires. Just before the family left the farm to get back to their van, the father said to Walter and his wife, “You two are church-goers aren’t you?” Jill smiled and said, “I’m glad you could tell!” All prayed together in the front room before the stranded family continued their journey home. As the van chugged down the road again, the father thanked God for letting them break down at the perfect moment... near Walter and Jill.
To this day, the father and mother don’t cringe when thinking about that breakdown on the highway. Instead, you will catch them smiling!
When faithful people exhibit God’s love, it changes everything. Pressures are eased. Worried souls are put at rest. People find hope and healing and safety and love.
In Mathew 5:16, Jesus taught the crowds gathered, “… let your good deeds shine out for all to see”. Jesus didn’t say this so that those who heeded his words would look good, be praised for their greatness, or feel pride. Instead, Jesus wanted faithful people to do these good deeds “so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:16b). You should not do good things in your own life just to impress others or to get something in return. You goal should be that when you do good deeds God gets the glory.
It is not uncommon in these modern times for people seek a reward when doing great things. Often, when worldly people do great things, they would love to have TV cameras recording the event. They would love the news vans to be present. So many people today thrive on “likes” and “thumbs up” and “kudos” on social media. Fewer and fewer do good deeds so that God gets the glory.
How about you? Are you content for God to get the glory for the good things you accomplish? Are you willing to stay out of the limelight so that God is the one who is praised? Can people tell you are a Christian by your love? Do people smile when thinking about the things you’ve done?