Why am I doing this?
“But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
– Matthew 6:6 (NRSV)
Playing high school basketball taught me an important lesson: practice the way you expect to play in the game. It was easy to go hard under the bright lights—with cameras recording and the crowd cheering. But giving that same energy in practice, when no one was watching, was something entirely different. The discipline, focus, and effort required when no one is watching is what truly shapes success.
In the same way, it can be easy to appear holy when eyes are on us. It’s easy to pray powerfully when surrounded by a crowd of witnesses. Many of us knowingly and unknowingly perform our spirituality for others, when our true aim should always be to please God alone.
We must ask ourselves honestly: “Am I fasting to please people or to please God?” We know the areas in our personal walk with God where we struggle. We see ourselves in the mirror daily in ways others cannot. So, we must wrestle with this truth: Is my prayer life driven by being seen, or by being sincerely connected to the God who sees me?
When recognition becomes our motivation, it’s time to pause and reevaluate our hearts. Are we committed to living, looking, and loving like Jesus—even when no one applauds? Are we willing to follow Him without expecting the praise He received?
We are vessels of God’s glory; He alone deserves the credit. What’s in it for us? The humbling reminder that we are nothing without God, and the assurance that even if we never receive public recognition, God sees our effort—and our true reward comes from Him.
PRAYER
God, as we strive to live, look, and love like Jesus, remind us that we are not Jesus—and that all glory belongs to God.
JOURNAL REFLECTION
In what areas of your spiritual life might you be performing for others rather than seeking to please God? How can you practice faithfulness and holiness when no one is watching?