Look What I Can Do!

“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them; otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1)

Once he was spotted, the mockingbird had us entertained for over an hour. What caught our attention? First, it was his beautiful song. But oddly, he repeated the same tune over and over. When we located him, we became an audience of two, and he kept us in laughter. If the bird could have spoken, he would have said, “Look what I can do. Look what I can do!” He was at the top of a telephone pole, jumping up and down, singing his heart out. Every third jump, he spread his barred wings and fluttered, chirping away while airborne—quite a spectacle. With a bit of research, I discovered he was a male in search of his female soulmate. Male mockingbirds use this technique to draw attention to themselves to find a female in the vicinity also looking for a mate. If no female responds, they move to a new location and repeat the process until they find one. The bird’s actions are God-given for a specific purpose; doing what he was supposed to do to find a mate. That afternoon, Mr. Mockingbird was still performing, but by evening, he was with his soulmate.

People are sometimes like that mockingbird. They do this or that, wanting someone, anyone, to take notice of their noble, sacrificial deeds. Like birds jumping, singing, and fluttering, they do whatever it takes to draw attention to themselves. Sometimes they use a splash of color or do something extraordinary to catch your peripheral vision as they strive for the spotlight. People driven by the “Look at me” mentality may have the unique ability to speak melodious words that draw attention to themselves and leave their listeners spellbound. Their actions and words have nothing to do with a God-given purpose. Instead, they reveal, This is all about me.

Jesus said when you give offerings, help others, do good deeds, fast, pray, whatever you do, if you do it to call attention to yourself—long for recognition and receive acknowledgment for your actions, your reward will be here on earth only. He stores none in heaven.

Your Father, who sees everything in secret, will reward you openly when you serve Him with the right heart. Which would you prefer? Applause from an audience here or a “Well done” with stored blessings from God?