It Costs You Nothing
Study The Word
Matthew 25:40 (KJV)
“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
Let me ask you something that cuts right to the heart of what it means to follow Christ: what do you think actually defines your impact? So many of us have quietly believed it is our titles, our wealth, or even our pious religious and charitable service: the boxes we tick, the positions we hold, the things our reputation is built on. And listen, those things are not bad. But they are not the measure either. What truly defines your greatness, your impact, and your growth in Christ is (drumroll) the way you treat others.
I have to be honest with you, because this is so easy to miss. Many believers genuinely think that simply ticking all the boxes of service makes them right with God and secures some kind of eternal impact. But when all of that is done without genuinely caring for and treating God’s people well, the Word has a name for it:
ὀφθαλμοδουλεία ophthalmodouleia eye-service – work done only to be seen, performed for the watching eye rather than from the heart.
Eye-service is shallow. It is service performed for the audience, not from love. And as good as it may look on the outside, it cannot carry any real weight. It is the kind of thing that gets burned up when it is tried and tested by fire. God is not impressed by a performance. He is moved by a heart.
So look at the revelation Jesus gives us here, because it is staggering. He tells us that whatever good we have done to even one person, “one of the least of these”, we have actually done it unto Him. And the sobering flip side is just as true: whatever harm we have done to another, we have done it directly to Him. Can you imagine? Every act of kindness, and every act of cruelty, is received personally by the Lord Himself.
Why is that? Because we are all connected. The Scripture tells us we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. Let me give you a simple picture. Imagine the arm decided to start persecuting and mistreating the stomach. That mistreatment would never stay contained to the stomach alone. It would affect the entire body. That is exactly how it is in the body of Christ. When you hurt or mistreat one member, you are not touching them in isolation. You are touching the whole body, and you are touching the Head, who is Christ.
Now please hear me clearly: this is not a message of condemnation. It is a message to help us position ourselves rightly. If we truly say we are born-again believers of the Lord Jesus Christ, then more than our service, more than our titles, more than our success, what matters is our love walk. And here is the part that stretches us the most: that love walk is meant to extend even to the people who have hurt us the most. Because what good is it, really, to love only the ones who already love you? Even the devils can manage that.
Now, let me be careful and tender here, because I do not want this to be misunderstood. This does not mean you must become best friends with those who have wounded you. It does not erase healthy boundaries. But it does mean forgiving them, and carrying a posture of love rather than bitterness toward them. There is a real difference between letting someone back into your inner circle and letting Christ keep your heart soft.
So how do we actually walk this out, day to day? Real greatness, it turns out, is hidden in the fundamentals: the things so basic we almost overlook them. It looks like respecting people, simply honouring their dignity. It looks like recognising the good in others, choosing to see and acknowledge it rather than only their faults. And it looks like speaking with kindness, letting your words carry life. Listen, it costs you absolutely nothing to do these things: to respect people, to acknowledge others, to speak life and kindness. Nothing. And yet these “basic” things are the very things that matter most. They are the fundamentals of being a good human, and of being a good Christian.
So today, would you let your character, not your accolades, become your true impact? Treat people well. Every person you meet is someone the King receives as Himself. Hallelujah! What a holy and honourable way to move through the world.
Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, thank You for the revelation that whatever I do to even the least person, I do unto You. Forgive me where my service has been mere eye-service, and search my heart until my love for people is genuine and not a performance. Help me to walk in love even toward those who have hurt me, to forgive and to refuse bitterness, while keeping the wisdom of healthy boundaries. Let my character be my impact, and let me honour You by treating every person well, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Speak The Word
I am a member of the body of Christ, and I treat every person as one connected to me and to the Lord. My impact is defined by my character and my love walk, not by my titles or success. I refuse shallow eye-service; I serve and love from a genuine heart. I respect people, I recognise the good in others, and I speak life and kindness. I forgive those who have hurt me, and I keep my heart soft before God, in the name of Jesus Christ!
Soul Wellness: An Introduction To Receiving Healing In Your Heart
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