This blog post is adapted from the sermon: Not for Likes
In our daily lives, we all crave recognition. From YouTube stars seeking views to employees hoping for praise from bosses, the desire to be noticed runs deep in human nature. But what does Jesus say about this natural inclination, especially when it comes to our spiritual practices?
Why Do We Crave Recognition in Our Spiritual Lives?
Just as content creators seek likes and subscribers, we often want recognition for our efforts. We appreciate when:
- Our employer notices our hard work
- Our spouse acknowledges our efforts around the house
- Our church family recognizes our service
There’s nothing inherently wrong with appreciation. However, Jesus calls us to examine our hearts when it comes to our relationship with God.
What Does Jesus Teach About Our Motives?
In Matthew 6:1-18, Jesus addresses three spiritual practices that were common in Jewish life: charitable giving, prayer, and fasting. In each case, He contrasts doing these things for human recognition versus doing them for God alone.
This might seem contradictory to Matthew 5:16, where Jesus told His followers to do good deeds so others could see them and glorify God. But the difference is in the heart attitude – the misplaced desire for personal praise versus genuine service.
How Should We Give to Those in Need?
Jesus begins with charitable giving in verses 1-4:
“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do, blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity.”
The word “hypocrites” refers to actors in Greek theater who wore masks to pretend to be someone they weren’t. Jesus calls us instead to sincerity and genuineness.
While we don’t have historical evidence of people literally blowing trumpets before giving, they may have metaphorically “tooted their own horn” by making their giving conspicuous, perhaps by loudly dropping coins in the temple collection boxes.
Jesus’s solution? “Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” Give privately, and “your Father who sees everything will reward you.”
What Does Authentic Prayer Look Like?
Next, Jesus addresses prayer in verses 5-8:
“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them.”
In Jesus’ time, devout Jews prayed at set times (9:00 a.m., noon, and 3:00 p.m.). Some would deliberately position themselves in busy public places during these times to be seen reciting the 18 traditional prayers.
Jesus isn’t forbidding public prayer – He prayed publicly Himself. Instead, He’s addressing the heart attitude behind our prayers. Are we praying to be seen by others or to commune with God?
His instruction to “go away by yourself and shut the door behind you” isn’t just about physical privacy, but also about mental focus – creating an environment where it’s just you and God, an “audience of one.”
What Should We Pray For?
Jesus then gives us the Lord’s Prayer as a model (verses 9-13). This prayer challenges our typical prayer patterns by:
- Focusing first on God’s glory: “May your name be kept holy”
- Prioritizing God’s kingdom: “May your kingdom come soon”
- Surrendering to God’s will: “May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”
- Only then, addressing our needs: “Give us today the food we need”
- Seeking forgiveness while committing to forgive others
- Asking for spiritual protection
This model prayer reorients us away from self-centered requests toward God-centered worship.
How Should We Fast?
Finally, Jesus addresses fasting in verses 16-18:
“When you fast, don’t make it obvious as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting.”
In Jesus’s time, some would blacken their faces with ashes, wear rough goat-hair clothing, and refuse to bathe during fasts – all to draw attention to their spiritual discipline.
Jesus instructs instead: “When you fast, comb your hair and wash your face.” In other words, don’t advertise your spiritual disciplines. Let them remain between you and God.
What Happens When We Live for God’s Approval Alone?
The story of Brother Andrew illustrates this principle beautifully. In 1955, this Dutch Christian began smuggling Bibles into communist countries where Scripture was forbidden. He would pray in secret before his dangerous missions, asking God to “make seeing eyes blind” so guards wouldn’t discover his cargo.
What began as a humble, secret ministry eventually grew into Open Doors, a worldwide organization that continues to bring Scripture to restricted nations. Because his work started with pure motives – not seeking human recognition but God’s approval – God blessed and expanded it.
Life Application
The challenge for us is clear: Will we do everything for God in a way that brings Him honor? The way to ensure our motives are pure is to serve in ways that don’t draw attention to ourselves.
Ask yourself these questions this week:
- When I serve at church, am I disappointed if no one notices?
- Do I share about my giving or prayer life to impress others?
- Am I more concerned with God’s approval or human recognition?
- What spiritual disciplines am I practicing in secret?
This week, try performing one act of service that no one will ever know about except God. Experience the joy of living for an audience of one – your Heavenly Father who “sees what is done in secret and will reward you.”
Remember, the upside-down kingdom of Jesus calls us to a countercultural approach where the praise of God matters infinitely more than the applause of people.
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