God's way not my way #1

I was painting a friend's garden fence this week, I'm out of work and was returning a favour for a favour, he's been very kind to me during a time of trial. This blinkin fence is enormous and the task is similar to painting the Forth Road Bridge, there are however a couple of shortcuts I've identified which can speed the job up. First, don't bother scraping off the thin film of weathering which covers plain timber beneath, just paint over it, and second, leave the awkward and non visible nooks and crannies unpainted, on both counts no-one will ever know. But to do this would be to execute a substandard job and the fence would remain unprotected in parts, less well protected in general, so I've diligently completed the task properly. Why tell you this? Well because it's a lesson in life I thought worth sharing, a reminder to me of a scripture I'm attempting to obey rather than pass over, although in one respect the recording here of my efforts completely contradicts this teaching but hey ho, the intention is honourable and God forgives me!

There's a passage in Matthew 6:1-6 link to Matthew 6:1-6 whereJesus challenges those who deliver long, flowery prayers in front of an audience and explains instead that the way to pray is alone in your room. No audience to acclaim your performance or wisdom, simply you and your maker. Similarly, your random acts of kindness aren't meant to be listed on a bill poster in the nearest town centre, humility would have you keep this between you and God. How tempting it is to buy a loud hailer when you do a good turn for somebody or offer a kindness with no expectation of reward, but we're asked to demonstrate modest humility not boastfulness. None of this is easy and opposes the human condition, we like to be liked, but just as presenting a gift to someone is as fulfilling, if not more so, than receiving one, our prayers in solitude and our unheralded acts of kindness are blessings from God, blessings to be enjoyed between you and Him, and his delight in you is worth so much more than anyone else's.