I have met many Christians along the journey who got tangled-up in living this teaching by Jesus.  On one end of the spectrum we have the scribes and Pharisees who put on the show but do not serve.  On the other end we have those who live in perpetual humility, never letting their giftedness shine through.  Where do we fall on this spectrum and how can we feel good about letting our God-given gifts shine?  It really does seem confusing at times.

One way to unravel the tangle is to focus on who is being glorified.  When I call attention to my words or actions for my own needs or rewards, I appear to be stepping toward being a Pharisee.  When I shine in an area and acknowledge God as the source, God is being praised.  A recent interview with a basketball player shows an example.  After playing his best and helping his team win a tournament, he was asked how he felt.  He replied, “I give the credit to Jesus Christ, my lord and savior.”  “Wow, what a statement,” my wife commented.  It was different for a sports interview, almost out of place I thought.

After reflecting about his statement and my awkward feelings, I became aware of the effects of our culture.  In our culture, most players promote themselves and not God in such interviews, but this player was glorifying God.  Just imagine how sports would be different if the players’ goals were to glorify God.  In fact, just think about how our world would be different if all our actions were to glorify God.  It sounds impractical for modern times, but it also sounds closer to the kingdom of God.  Lent is a great time to step away from the attachments of our self-serving culture and step closer to God.  It is just a matter of taking small steps with a direction in mind.  This Lent, let God be our aim and our steps will fall into to place.