6 “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.
2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Teaching about Prayer and Fasting
5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Our devotional about freedom from doing things to be seen by others can be found at the following link:
https://www.mymorningcoffee.org/2025/09/29/my-resume-is-worthless-5/
1. What is the difference between believing "God will love me because I am good" and believing that "God will make me good because He loves me?"
2. How does believing that "God will make me good because He loves me" rather than "God will love me because I am good" make doing good works for others feel different?
3. How can believing that "God will make me good because He loves me" help me point people to God rather than to myself when I do good things?