Trust God, Not Religion (Matthew 6:1-18)

In chapter five, Jesus taught His followers what it meant to be a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven. Among other things (like being undeservedly blessed, persecuted, and bearing testimony) it also meant having a righteousness that surpassed the most religious people of that time. And, in chapter five, we see the sort of obedience that righteousness requires. But faith is more than obedience, and in chapter six Jesus teaches His followers about the trusting aspect of faith.

He starts out by telling His disciples to trust God, not religion. That is what is meant when He talks about doing things not for show or recognition. We don’t give to the needy to be thanked. We don’t pray to show our faith to others. We don’t fast in order to earn admiration or pity. When we do these things, we do them because we want to please God, not the world.

This can be an ongoing challenge for believers. We want to spur each other on in righteousness, so we don’t want to exercise our faith in secrecy. And, for that matter, we are called to be light in a dark world. Integrity demands that we live out the message that we share. However, in our hearts we can know our own motives. Any giving, praying, or any other religious discipline done to impress others is wrong. The glory we seek to magnify is Christ’s alone.