Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men.
When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men.
Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting.
Matthew 6:1,2,5,16
Doing righteous acts with the wrong motives is not pleasing to God and it leads to hypocrisy. This is a tough one, because we ought to do righteous acts. But, who has perfect and pure motives?
Why do I do what I do?
God, help me respond to the prompting of Your Holy Spirit within me and to Your Holy Word. Purify my motives. I really want to be in a place where I don’t need or desire the recognition of men, but You alone. Help me practice righteousness, give generously, pray vigorously and intimately, and fast without drawing attention to myself. I know You see it all. “All things are naked and laid bare to the eyes of Him, with whom we have to do”.
