Bible Passage: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV)
Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:1-34
Imagine you’re a photographer editing a recent family shoot.
Which photos will you send to the family?
Obviously, you’ll send the best ones.
There’s nothing wrong with a family photo of us at our smiling best, but we live in an era of image management.
The best photos are on the wall.
Social media feeds show the world an imaginary best.
Our lives are baptized in “putting our best foot forward.”
Charles Spurgeon said, “Brother, if any man thinks ill of you, do not be angry with him. For you are worse than he thinks you to be.”
I wonder how different our lives would be if we took his advice.
What if, in a world of always putting the best forward, we lived from the knowledge that we are worse (and so is everyone else) than our/their worst moments?
A final tension in becoming a man of righteousness is the tension between focusing on the outside and the inside.
Jesus had things to say about external obedience. He said of those who’ll enter eternity:
“I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me” (Matthew 25:35-36 NIV).
Do the right thing, inside and outside the family of God. Stack the chairs. Visit the sick. Care for the newcomer. Men of righteousness act rightly.
Jesus also had things to say about the heart. When you give, hide it. When you pray, do it secretly. Don’t fall into image management (Matthew 6:1-34).
The apostle Paul said that someone could give all they have to the poor and yet not love (1 Corinthians 13:3). Elsewhere, he said that the fruit of the Spirit looks like a changed inner world and a changed motivational structure (Galatians 5:22-23).
Pulling it together, righteous men pursue a life of good deeds and a changed heart within.
They may have beautiful family photos on the wall, but where it matters, they live from a place of humility and love. Marketing won’t work so well on them. They’ll be about their Father’s business, living from a place of humble love in response to a God who loves them.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, give me a fresh view of Jesus. He was this sort of man—one who always did the right thing for the right reason. I wish I were like that. Help me live by the Spirit today. Keep me open to whatever good deeds lie ahead, and change my heart through them. Amen.
Reflection: Have you ever thought about how a changed heart and a changed life go together? Which are you more focused on these days? Why?
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