Tuesday Devo

In many homes, parents use small rewards—like a piece of candy from a “treasure chest”—to encourage good behavior in their kids. But, one of the hardest parts comes on the tougher days, when there’s no reward to give. It’s hard to see the look of disappointment on a kid’s face. Moments like that are a gentle reminder of how easy it is to fall into the habit of doing good mainly for the reward, rather than for the right reasons.

In Matthew 25, Jesus says “Well done, good and faithful servant” to two men who were faithful with what they were given. But to the one who wasn’t, He says, “You wicked, lazy servant.” The difference wasn’t in how much they had but in how they responded with what was entrusted to them. Jesus is the perfect example of goodness– not seeking His own gain, but laying down His life for ours. He didn’t go to the cross to get something out of it—He did it out of love. Because of God’s goodness to us, we now have the power to live faithfully—not for the treasure, but from the treasure we already have in Him.

Application: How can you reflect God’s goodness simply because of who He is, not because of what you hope to receive in return?