Today I read Matthew chapter 6, the second part of the Sermon on the Mount. In this chapter, the Lord gives a lot more detailed instructions to the disciples and focused more on the intents of our heart and what our reasons are for the things we do. For example, he talks quite a bit about hypocrites and that we should not be like them because they are only after the praise of men, and are not concerned with the things of Heaven like they ought to be.
The Lord in this chapter cautions us that we should not let our left hand know what our right hand is doing when we give our alms. There are not many people outside of the LDS church that seem to follow this admonition, at least in the media. We are always hearing about how much money some celebrity has given to a charity. This is not why we should be donating money to the charities and to the poor. We do it for the glory of God and to help those in need. The satisfaction of having done what is right and fulfilling the commandments of God should be our only sought after reward. Now, I do believe that there are some that do the donation and do not wish it shouted from the rooftops and indeed there maybe some that are that way and we never hear about it at their request, and God will reward them if such is the case.
The Lord then talks about prayer. I think it's so funny that in the very section where the Lord says not to use vain repetitions is the very prayer that so many people use. There are many people that say the Lord's prayer and either that is all they recite or they recite it before they go on to say a prayer. I have often wondered why so many people recite the Lord's prayer? I have always viewed it as this is a model of the type of prayer that we can offer to the Lord, especially when viewed in the context of the prayer the Lord offers up in John 17. But everyone is raised differently and most likely I don't view the Lord's prayer as important to recite everyday before my own prayer because that is the way I was raised. But the Lord's prayer aside, I have often wondered at that phrase, "vain repetition".
To me, when the Lord is talking about vain repetitions, what I think of is a prayer where you are not really thinking about what you are saying but rather are just going through the motions of the prayer. I do not think this is done intentionally most of the time but rather it is because prayer becomes a matter of habit and not something that we take as seriously as we should. I find that the best way to combat vain repetitions is to pray out loud whenever possible. When we pray out loud, it causes us to focus on what we are saying a lot better and easier than if we pray only in our minds. It can also help to have a prayer journal, where we take a few moments before we pray to write down a few things we are thankful for and a few things we want to ask God for. I have used both devices in the past and have found them most effective when I feel my personal prayers are not being as effective as they normally are.
There is a scripture mastery in this chapter, in verse 24 where we learn that no man can serve two masters. We cannot serve God and Mammon, or we cannot be in the world and out of the world at the same time. It just will not work. For example, it would be incongruent for a devout member of any faith, to work for an alcoholic beverage company or as a stripper or anything else that goes against the core tenants of their faith. I do not know of any faith that says the consumption of alcoholic beverages is ok, hence why I did not just specify Latter-day Saints. To me, if you profess you are a member of ANY church, you should not be working in any type of industry that conflicts with those beliefs. That is why I find it so funny that, from what those of my acquaintance who view such things tell me, there are so many people in the adult entertainment industry who wear a cross or crucifix while working. Any good, devout Christian should know that working as a stripper or a prostitute or in any type of pornography is completely against the teachings of Jesus Christ. To me it is bad enough to work in such a line of work, but to wear a cross or crucifix announcing your religion while doing so is just plain mockery and a slap in the face of God. Our lives need to be all in concert with our beliefs and religious devotions. We cannot go to church on Sunday and then operate a proverbial gambling hall the rest of the week. Remember, our goal in this life is to become like God is. We cannot do that if our life is not all in sync with His ideals.
The last point I want to talk about today comes from the JST of verse 25. In the JST version of verse 25, the Savior tells His disciples to go out into the world, to preach, but to take no thought for what the world is about. He goes on to tell them that this is because the world will reject them and will cast them out because they are not the norm. This is something a lot of people have a really hard time with. It is a real struggle for most people to ignore what is said about them. Most people are overly concerned with their image and how they are thought of. I'm not just talking about their dress, but so many people will not do a certain action or go a certain place because they are concerned what others will say about it if they do. Here the Lord tells His disciples, and us for we are or should be His disciples, that they should not be concerned with what the world thinks of them, but rather that we should only be concerned with what God thinks of us.
Now this is a challenge for most, as I have said but it is so liberating when it has been accomplished. I think honestly the first thing one will need to accomplish this is to have a good understanding of who you are. You can only be successful in not allowing yourself to be swayed by the opinions of others if you are confident in who you are. When you understand that nothing another person will say about you can change who you are and does not change the reality that you are a child of God and are about the Lord's business, that's when you can successfully ignore the world and its derision. And when you have that, you can accomplish amazing things in the Lord's name. Until tomorrow.
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