When we serve God in secret, we receive a double reward. Not only will God one day reward us "openly" (Mt. 6:4), but we will enjoy the memory of what we did.

Thomas La Mance wrote: "Several years back . . . I was lounging around in the living room listening to the radio when my dad came in from shoveling snow. He looked at me and said, 'In 24 hours you won't even remember what you are listening to now. How about doing something for the next 20 minutes that you'll remember the next 20 years? I promise that you'll enjoy it every time you think of it.'

"'What is it?' I asked. 'Well, Son, there are several inches of snow on Mrs. Brown's walks,' he replied. 'Why don't you go see if you can shovel it off and get back home without her knowing you did it?'

"I did the walk in about 15 minutes. She never knew who did the job, and my dad was right. It's been a lot more than 20 years, and I've enjoyed the memory every time I've thought about it."

Jesus said that when we do good to get men's applause, we have our reward. Instead, let's serve Him in secret. And remember, the memory is part of the reward!  — David C. Egner