My mother used to have a phrase when she was alive, usually referring to me or my attitude when I thought I had done something noteworthy. She sometimes used it when describing somebody, anybody who started acting like they were better than someone else or felt their No. 2 didn’t stink. She used to say that person was ‘smelling him or herself.’ kids called it showing off. The Bible says unless your deeds are done to glorify God rather than yourself, you are smelling yourself, and you better be careful because, spiritually, you’re in deep water.
“Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1). It appears that intent and motivation dictate a person’s true character and how God views him or her. Doing the right thing for the wrong reason gets you nothing. I mean, supposedly, if you are trying to impress friends and family or achieve honors from your fellow man for doing good deeds to smell yourself, then you’re probably on a path sorely in need of some Right Guard. The point of doing what you know is supposed to be so that others can see the deed(s) as glorifying the Almighty, not so they will be impressed with you. Even in prayer, the bible says, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father will reward you.” Matthew 6:6.
I mean, we’ve all been equally unimpressed with someone who appears to sincerely help another person or us out of what appears to be the goodness of their heart, only to find them standing either with their hand out to get theirs or their backs turned so the world can pat them on it. God is simply telling us in His way, if you do that, to talk to the hand because the ears aren’t listening. You don’t give to receive, and you don’t love to be loved. That’s blackmail. That’s extortion. It’s impure and unacceptable. Give because you want to, and love because it’s who you are. Anything else is fraud and an affront to Jesus, who gave so that we can all live.
“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise the Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16. Granted, walking around with this level of purity in one’s heart might be a bit much for most of us; however, it is pretty easy to know, understand, and acknowledge that the real reason we reach out to someone else is to be seen as a good person by others. We all want to be highly thought of by our peers, parents, and those closest to us. But the reality is that only God counts when appreciating who you are. The rest is shown. The rest is ego.“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18.
All of this points to trying to be true to yourself when it comes to talking the talk and then walking the walk. The echo of mother wit just resonates in my mind as I try to remember the gist of what Mom was trying to teach me about myself. Before I get too full of myself about anything, the real test of faith just might be a good whiff of the fragrance under my arm. How are you smelling today?
May God bless and keep you always.
This column is from James Washington’s Spiritually Speaking: Reflections for and from a New Christian. You can purchase this enlightening book on Amazon and start your journey toward spiritual enlightenment.