There is an old saying I’m pretty sure we have all heard: “Be sure your sins will find you out.” We read stories-often daily-where this adage plays itself out.
- A church treasurer who decides the church’s money is their personal bank so they begin using the money for themselves and financing ventures for personal gain.
- An accountant who siphons money from a client or clients because of greed.
- A builder who uses cheap materials and takes shortcuts while building.
The sad list goes on. Men and women who are trusted, but end up cheating, lying, and taking advantage of others. All while believing they are not going to get caught.
I Timothy 5:24 says, “The sins of some people are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after.” (NASB2020) See that last phrase? My translation: sin will come to roost.
But how about good? You know…there are people who do good but want no recognition. But try as they many, word gets out. I was reminded of that when I continued reading I Timothy 5:25-“Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed.” (NASB2020)
Good should never be done for the purpose of recognition. But sometimes it just can’t help itself. But keep this in mind: it is far better to be known for doing good, than to be known for your “sins.”
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We had a good weekend. I know some of you had prayed for that. We celebrated Janna’s birthday. She had a migraine so we brought her food home after eating supper with Braden. We visited Jo’s sister, who did not know me, and I’m thinking barely knew Jo. We watched Braden play football Friday night. He played a good game and even intercepted a pass. We also had a safe trip with all the driving miles. Thanks for all your prayers.
Glad you had a good and safe weekend and are back at it this morning! It is often telling to see what motivates “doing good”. Some people thrive on recognition, while others would prefer the accolades be more private. But what you say regarding the purpose is spot on. The purpose should never be the recognition. The question I try to ask myself is would I still do X if nobody ever knew… I think the world would be a lot better place if folks would look for opportunities to do good in secret…
Thanks Ryan for the words about the weekend. Even more are the words of truth you write. I, too, agree that the world would be a much better place if we didn’t care for accolades but just “did good.”
We should desire to do good deeds because God wants us to; not to be recognized, but just because.
So glad your trip went well, Bill! Hope Janna is feeling better, too.
Blessings!
Thanks Martha. I agree on doing because God wants us to. She was feeling much better Friday. Thanks for caring.
Glad you had a good weekend and a safe trip.
Being a Christ follower, all of our actions should be because we want to be more like Christ in all we do, not needing or wanting recognition for our good deeds. Sinful behavior might seem like it escapes the world’s attention but it never escapes God’s eyes. Even though we will still fall short of God’s glory, our goal in life should be to grow closer to Christ and our behavior should reflect that.
Thanks Gail. Glad to see you yesterday! 🙂 Agreed on the sinful behavior might seem like it escapes but eventually it will be seen. I totally agree that our goal should be to grow closer to Christ.
So thankful you had a great weekend with your loved ones, Pastor Bill. I just quoted Numbers 32:23 to someone recently. It is so true. I never cease to be amazed that people think they can pull off a “perfect” crime or sin and never get caught. My Mom used to say, “That may do to live by, but it sure won’t do to die by.” If they aren’t found out in this life, they will certainly be in the next when they stand before Almighty God. God bless you today!
Thank you Cheryl. It is always good to see them. I can’t say “to go home” because that has never been home. This is home for me and Jo. And yes, sin will be “found out” when a person stands before God.