Holy Boldness

the only intention of looking good in the eyes of others suggests that the “sacrificial action” is invalidated due to the absence of a pure motive. It is characteristic of the hypocrites . “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,” (Luke 6:3) This is another example of Jesus’ sub tle humor. The point he was making is about not being self-conscious. In other words, just do what you know to do without expecting to see yourself in the mirror or to be aware even of its significance. Self-aware ness can be very distracting. It often betrays an over awareness of what others may be thinking. The purpose of prayer is to be heard by God. Therefore, to pray or to fast to be seen by men negates and undermines prayer’s original purpose. Furthermore, it is a manifestation of the “fear of man,” which is seeking man’s approval. God is not looking for outward observance only but for honesty and integrity. If one practices certain “good deeds” only because it is fashionable or to gain acceptance from people, even religious people, it isn’t authentic and it will not register in Heaven nor will it produce the desired result. But to press the issue even further, let me just say that there is nothing a person can do that will produce the internal desired result faster and more unmistakably than secret obedience . What happens when this is faithfully practiced? At first, when a person does a deed that no one sees or notices, there can be an agitation, especially if a person is used to being congratulated for a job well done. It can feel like there has been a strong effort mixed with a degree of suffering but there has been no reward. But this is the test! Will a person continue to walk in submission to the will of God when all he or she gets for his trouble is suffering? If a person will continue to do right when no one is watching or congratulating him, the truth gets established in that person’s heart and something begins to dawn on him. Deep within grows the awareness that someone is watching…. That someone is God and “the God who sees in secret will reward…” . (Vv. 4, 6, 18). Do you remember we talked about one of the beatitudes, “..the pure in heart will see God.” The pure in heart only care about what God thinks, and that is why they see God. Seeing God is about a growing awareness of His will and pleasure. They see God because they are not distracted by the opinions of man. But this is some thing cultivated over time. We get tested many times before the pleasure

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