1 that ye should do alms unto the poor; but take heed that ye do not your alms before men to be seen of them; otherwise ye have no reward of your Father who is in heaven.
4 That thine alms may be in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret, himself shall reward thee openly.
In today's world to many people are focused on "what can someone do for me" and "what do I get out of it" if they are asked to do something for someone else. To many people appear to "do good", not because their heart tells them to, but because they want the recognition that comes with it. If more people were go go out of there way for others, however small or big the deed is, they would realize that providing service for others is often healing to those performing the service. It may appear that the person being served is the benefactor, but spiritually the people serving are usually rewarded equally if their heart is in the right place.
Prayer:
5 And when thou aprayest thou shalt not do as the bhypocrites, for they love to pray, standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast ashut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father, who bseeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
When I think of this counsel I think of two things. First I think of the many public evangelical leaders who preach publicly and speak up about the sins of others, yet what they do behind closed doors is an entirely different thing. In my childhood years, every few years we wold hear about another scandal with a preacher or pastor involved. For many, they felt the hypocrisy displayed in these very public cases was a solid reason for not participating in any organized church. On a personal level this counsel reminds me that yes, we may participate in public prayer, we may pray on the behalf of others, but ultimately we must focus on our personal communication with the lord. We must go to him in solitude and we must be humble. We must have faith that in those moments of prayer and we will receive the rewards as Heavenly Father sees fit.
Fasting:
16 Moreover, when ye afast be not as the bhypocrites, of a sad countenance, for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father, who is in asecret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
Personally, fasting has been a struggle for me. By reading these scriptures I know that my intent and my thoughts aren't always where they should be. By focusing on the negatives of fasting and the personal discomfort it causes me, I'm taking away an opportunity that will not only reward someone in the ward temporally, but also reward me spiritually. I think it also comes down to obedience. For years, fasting is one form of counsel that I've rationalized not participating in. Like so many things in life, I need to stop making excuses and JUST DO IT for the right reasons.
Personally, fasting has been a struggle for me. By reading these scriptures I know that my intent and my thoughts aren't always where they should be. By focusing on the negatives of fasting and the personal discomfort it causes me, I'm taking away an opportunity that will not only reward someone in the ward temporally, but also reward me spiritually. I think it also comes down to obedience. For years, fasting is one form of counsel that I've rationalized not participating in. Like so many things in life, I need to stop making excuses and JUST DO IT for the right reasons.
Treasures of Heaven:
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where amoth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal;
20 But lay up for yourselves atreasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
It's so easy in this day and age, to want, want and want more. Sometimes we might think of this desire for earthy treasures, only happening on a grand scale. We might picture those who perform secret acts of corruption, that end up effecting large groups of people. We might picture ruthless criminals partaking in illegal acts to gain money and power. If we're honest with ourselves, it can happen on a much smaller scale, yet be just as spiritually destructive. Purchasing a house or car you can't afford, running up credit cards to give a perception of a life you can't afford, finding yourself constantly competing with others to "one up them". It doesn't even have to be money related. You can fall into the same trap by turning down callings because other worldly task are more important, not making scripture study and prayer a priority because "you don't have time", and putting off temple work when you have a temple just around the corner. These examples are just a few of the traps we can fall into when focusing on our earthy treasures. I have no doubt, if you were to follow the simple counsel just shared on Charity, Prayer and Fasting, your heart can't help but be softened so the focus on heavenly treasures becomes more apparent and desirable.
It's so easy in this day and age, to want, want and want more. Sometimes we might think of this desire for earthy treasures, only happening on a grand scale. We might picture those who perform secret acts of corruption, that end up effecting large groups of people. We might picture ruthless criminals partaking in illegal acts to gain money and power. If we're honest with ourselves, it can happen on a much smaller scale, yet be just as spiritually destructive. Purchasing a house or car you can't afford, running up credit cards to give a perception of a life you can't afford, finding yourself constantly competing with others to "one up them". It doesn't even have to be money related. You can fall into the same trap by turning down callings because other worldly task are more important, not making scripture study and prayer a priority because "you don't have time", and putting off temple work when you have a temple just around the corner. These examples are just a few of the traps we can fall into when focusing on our earthy treasures. I have no doubt, if you were to follow the simple counsel just shared on Charity, Prayer and Fasting, your heart can't help but be softened so the focus on heavenly treasures becomes more apparent and desirable.
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