Mission Trip Prayer & Devotional PlanНамуна

"Jesus Criticizes the Good People"

Pharisees have a bad reputation, so it’s easy to forget that they were “good people” in their day. They claimed to take God’s word more seriously than anybody. Consistently Jesus condemned them for making a show of their faith in front of other people, but neglecting to focus on God’s deeper concerns.

What did they neglect? This passage mentions three things. They don’t show generosity to the poor. They overlook justice. And they aren’t adequately concerned with loving God.

A mission trip can tempt you to go the Pharisees’ way. After all, you are giving up time and money to do God’s work. Your sense of following God’s call can easily turn to pride, and that pride can easily become self-righteous regarding the “little things.” More than a few mission trips have been marred by such attitudes.

The antidote is clear, if not easy: practice generosity, especially to those who need it. Look for opportunities to practice justice, which is to love your neighbor as yourself. And love God with your heart, soul, mind and strength. No one whose focus stays on such things can be anything other than humble.

Prayer: Lord, help me to see myself clearly. If pride creeps in, help me to turn my focus toward you and toward others.