Religion or Relationship

In Matthew 6:1 Jesus says "Take heed that you do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise you have no reward of your Father which is in heaven." My friend, religion is all about pleasing people. Religion, believes that by pleasing people one gets rewards. It's all about what we can get now. At its core religion is totally selfish. Faith in Christ should be radically different. A relationship that is personal and intimate with God should motivate our actions rather than wanting to be recognized by others. I must admit that it feels good when people praise you for something you have done. It feels good to get that type of attention, but if that becomes our motivation for action it goes contrary to what the Lord desires for us, because our focus shifts from the Father to earthly rewards. Lets focus on Jesus, the Word of God. Jesus is eternal and our relationship with him can be everlasting if we stop looking towards pleasing people and start focusing on obeying and pleasing Him.