Title: Working for God or for Self?

Scripture focus: Matthew 6:2  

Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Devotion: There are moments when our hands are busy with what seems like holy labor, yet our hearts are quietly serving ourselves. We may clothe our actions in the garments of devotion, but beneath them lies the subtle whisper of ego, the hidden desire for recognition, or the instinct of self-preservation. These motives often dwell in the subconscious, unnoticed, until the Spirit of God shines His light upon them.

  Consider the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. They prayed long prayers in public, gave alms with trumpets sounding, and fasted with faces disfigured to show their sacrifice. Yet Christ declared, “They have their reward” (Matthew 6:2–5). Their works were not for God, but for the applause of men. What looked like piety was, in truth, self-service.

   Even in the story of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1–11), we see this tension. They sold their land and brought part of the proceeds to the apostles, pretending it was the whole. Outwardly, it was generosity; inwardly, it was deception fueled by pride. Their act was not for God’s glory but for their own image, and it cost them their lives.

  Contrast this with Mary of Bethany, who broke her alabaster jar of costly perfume and poured it upon Jesus’ feet (John 12:3). Her act was pure devotion, misunderstood by others but commended by Christ. She sought no recognition, no preservation of self—only the honor of her Lord. Her fragrance filled the house, and her story still fills the world.

  The Apostle Paul warns us: “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves” (Philippians 2:3). True service flows from humility, not from the hidden hunger for self-exaltation. When ego drives us, our works may glitter before men but fade before God. When love drives us, even the smallest act becomes eternal.

  Thus, the question lingers in every soul: Am I working for God, or for myself? The answer is not always obvious, for the heart is deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9). Yet the Spirit searches and reveals. To labor for God is to surrender the secret motives, to lay down the crown of self, and to echo the words of John the Baptist: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

  May our hands be busy, but may our hearts be pure. May our works shine, not with the dim light of ego, but with the eternal radiance of God’s glory.

©Dr Joel Olanrewaju, gbemide09@gmail.com. Please share your thoughts with me and feel free to share this with your contacts.