Day 2
One of my earliest memories was laying in my bed as a small child late one evening. I couldn’t sleep and wanted some attention, perhaps to be babied and have some comforting so I came up with this fool proof plan: Faking a horrific falling out of bed accident. So, I climbed out of bed and laid on the floor in a “I just fell out of bed and I’m broken” pose and pushed out a fake cry. I was hoping for some tear action but the ducts were dry. I waited for a light to turn on and Mom or Dad to show up and witness the painful event, comfort me as I’d explain through the sobs how I fell out of bed (I never claimed to be a perfect kid). Nothing happened. So I moved further away from my bed and turned up the volume. Nothing. Even further away from my bed and closer to my bedroom door and even a bit louder. Nothing. Now I got really sad because I felt abandoned and alone, so the real tears started coming. Still noting. It was late. Everyone was asleep. So I remember getting back in bed and falling asleep.
What is this in us that likes unhealthy attention. It’s like the chronic complainer. Do you know one? Are you one? Every conversation with them is an anatomy lesson: “My tail bone hearts and my toe nails ache and when I pull my hair its painful.” We want to our suffering to sound worse than the next guy. Our bruises are bigger, our cuts are deeper, and our heart ache worse than anyone could ever imagine. We want people to feel sorry for us.
Perhaps we could use some professional help. Therapy or not, Jesus is telling us in today’s verse that this mindset has no place in fasting: When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. Matthew 6:16
Don’t miss the important principle:
When I fast for others to see how amazing I am, how holy, how lower I can humble myself than anyone else, my reward is simply the attention I get from others, paid in full.
One of my earliest memories was laying in my bed as a small child late one evening. I couldn’t sleep and wanted some attention, perhaps to be babied and have some comforting so I came up with this fool proof plan: Faking a horrific falling out of bed accident. So, I climbed out of bed and laid on the floor in a “I just fell out of bed and I’m broken” pose and pushed out a fake cry. I was hoping for some tear action but the ducts were dry. I waited for a light to turn on and Mom or Dad to show up and witness the painful event, comfort me as I’d explain through the sobs how I fell out of bed (I never claimed to be a perfect kid). Nothing happened. So I moved further away from my bed and turned up the volume. Nothing. Even further away from my bed and closer to my bedroom door and even a bit louder. Nothing. Now I got really sad because I felt abandoned and alone, so the real tears started coming. Still noting. It was late. Everyone was asleep. So I remember getting back in bed and falling asleep.
What is this in us that likes unhealthy attention. It’s like the chronic complainer. Do you know one? Are you one? Every conversation with them is an anatomy lesson: “My tail bone hearts and my toe nails ache and when I pull my hair its painful.” We want to our suffering to sound worse than the next guy. Our bruises are bigger, our cuts are deeper, and our heart ache worse than anyone could ever imagine. We want people to feel sorry for us.
Perhaps we could use some professional help. Therapy or not, Jesus is telling us in today’s verse that this mindset has no place in fasting: When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. Matthew 6:16
Don’t miss the important principle:
Wrong audience = wrong reward.
When I fast for others to see how amazing I am, how holy, how lower I can humble myself than anyone else, my reward is simply the attention I get from others, paid in full.
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