Someone once said, “The people who do things that count don’t usually stop to count them.”
I have heard service members decorated with medals repeatedly say they were just doing their job, that those who gave their lives are the real heroes.
Contrast this with many athletes who draw attention to themselves, demanding they receive accolades, big salary packages and product endorsements.
And whom do most people feel drawn toward?
Even in “regular” people’s lives, we hear, “Look at me! Look at how much I am doing!”
Some people draw attention to themselves by pointing out their busy schedules or accomplishments. They boast to seek praise from others or to boost their self-esteem.
However, we should be drawing attention to God, who has called us to serve others.
In Matthew 6:2-4, Jesus says, “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
If you are doing something for another person, question your motivation. Are you doing it to help that person? On some conscious or unconscious level, are you doing it to bolster yourself in others’ eyes?
Finally, please pray for Bostonians who died or were injured Monday during the Boston Marathon bomb blasts.
The Rev. Mark Broadhead is Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview’s pastor.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FROM THE PULPIT: Question your motives before acting