This past weekend I went on a Women's Retreat with a group of ladies from church . We did a bible study by Priscilla Shirer called "Seed". I loved it. It was the perfect fit for our setting.
The study all together was great but one part really challenged me and I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
The study all together was great but one part really challenged me and I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
Matthew 6:1-8 (ESV)
"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
"Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Now Compare it to this passage:
Matthew 5:14-16
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
See I completely understand both passages but how do they work together? How do I let my light shine and yet not "let my left hand know what my right hand is doing"?
I would love your feedback this but this is what I'm seeing.
After this attacked my senses and has mulled around in my mind the last few days I continued reading, (you guessed it) "The Well" chapter 7 and I have read and re-read pages 118-121, where Mark talks about the Apostle Paul.
After this attacked my senses and has mulled around in my mind the last few days I continued reading, (you guessed it) "The Well" chapter 7 and I have read and re-read pages 118-121, where Mark talks about the Apostle Paul.
Oh, I pray that the Lord would instill in me the heart of Paul. Not that I would beg for persecution, mind you- but I pray that if it came I would have the heart of Paul in:
Phillipians 3:7-10
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.
Before this passage Paul gives a brief yet extremely impressive (in his day) description of his background in Phil. 3:4-6.
Yet he takes all of who he was and calls it garbage in comparison to knowing Christ. This is the kind of man Paul was and then you have
And I, when I came to you, brothers,did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
Mark Hall points out this word that I had never noticed before and this is what he said:
"When we read this passage, we often concentrate on the last 2 verses. I had read it for years without noticing one simple word...that provides a life altering twist.
The word "decided" in vs 2 proves that Paul understood when we lay down everything that points people to ourselves, we get out of the way so they can see Jesus. Paul decided to decrease so that Jesus could increase."
It's humility! We can't take one extreme or the other. I fear some people allow Matthew 6:1-8 to be their scape goat, so they don't have to do anything. While others take Matthew 5:14-16 and feel everything they do needs to be shown.
God's not calling us to one extreme or the other. He's calling us to let our "light shine before men" through a Holy Humble life pointing to Christ and not ourselves.
Romans 12:1-2
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual act of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
When Romans 12:1-2 is the pattern of our lives it can't help but shine before men. When Romans 12:1-2 is the pattern of our lives your right hand is too busy serving than to even consider what the left hand is doing.
P.S That's how we worship. It's not in the songs we sing or how often we come to church (not that those things don't matter) but those things should be just a symptom of our lives submissively living out Romans 12:1-2!
His Clay~
