"Praise of the people." Jesus said that is what the hypocrites were seeking as they prayed and fasted publicly in Matthew 6:16-18. He told His followers to privately pray and fast so as only to be seen by their Father in Heaven. When we follow His guidelines and spend time in prayer and do behind-the-scenes good deeds, we know we are purely doing so to bring glory to God and not to receive the praises of others. But how do we continue in that vein of pureness when God calls us to a more public ministry-- when aspects of what we do for the Lord are seen by others?
Shortly after I became a Christian, my Sunday School teacher reached out to help me confront a problem I was facing. This was one of the first experiences I had with the kindness that is found in the family of God. Trying to express my thankfulness, I said, "You are wonderful." She quickly replied that it was God working in my life and not her.
The beloved Bible hero, Daniel, did the same thing. King Nebechadnezzar was furious that no one could interpret his dream and as a result demanded that all the wise men of Babylon (including Daniel) be executed. When Daniel heard his death sentence, he gathered his friends and prayed for God to reveal the meaning of the king's dream to them. That night, God answered Daniel's prayer and gave him the dream's meaning. Daniel was taken before King Nebechadnezzar, but before he shared his revelation with the king, he said, "...it is not because I am wiser than anyone else that I know the secret of your dreams, but because God wants you to understand what was in your heart." (Daniel 2:30) He could have left that little detail out, and he would have certainly received the praises of people, but instead, he was careful to the give credit to God.
And therein lies the answer. When our service for the Lord is seen by others, and people praise our work or devotion, may we quickly give credit and praise to the One who deserves it-- the one who gave us the inspiration, ability, and desire to serve Him--our Lord.
