Summary: In Matthew 6:1-18, Jesus tells a crowd to avoid being like "the hypocrites" who give, pray and fast publicly, as they are trying to gain other people's attention and approval, rather than God's. You might think this guidance is simple to follow, but is it really? Do you ever pray templated prayers, talking at God, rather than to him? Do you ever find yourself giving generously but wishing more people knew about it? Do you ever treat a relationship with God as a means to an end, using him to get what you want versus engaging with him for the joy of doing so? Chances are good that you can answer yes to one of these, or at least a similar question. We all can, as sinners. But if we are mindful to put God's glory first and realize there is nothing he isn't willing to do for us, we just might become more content with following him for the sake of his love.
