“Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” Matthew 6:4 NLT
Jesus is at it again! Continuing on in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks about giving alms. He continues his theme about going beyond mere deeds to get to the heart of the matter.
He is saying that giving of ourselves is not enough unless we do it with the right attitude. If we do it for the sake of impressing others or making ourselves look great, we have defeated the entire purpose. That recognition we were seeking is all the reward we will get! When it comes time to receive our eternal rewards in heaven, we will come up empty-handed!
Rather, we are to give generously to those in need, and to also give quietly and uneventfully. As a matter of fact, our giving should be so private that our left hand doesn’t know what our right hand is doing! We are to give with no thought to what we will get out of it. The purpose is to give of ourselves to meet a need, not to give in order to receive.
How many of you have seen church services where people pop up to announce they are giving $1,000 in the offering? Or, have you ever seen anyone give a closet full of clothes to charity and then tell everyone about it? Have you ever hoped for a pat on the back after doing something sacrificial for someone? What do we hope to gain by flashing our charitable gifts for the world to see? We don’t know the hearts of others and cannot speak for their intentions, but we can examine our own hearts carefully and make sure our generosity is genuine.
Consider John’s words about giving. How can we claim to have the love of God if we do not have compassion on those in need? This should grip our hearts!
“If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?” 1 John 3:17 NLT
Ouch! That really makes me think about how selfish I can be sometimes. Lord, help me have a generous heart toward my brothers and sisters!
Paul reminds us that we will always have plenty to share. God doesn’t’ bless us so that we can “Get all we can; can all we get; and sit on our can!” God blesses us so that we will bless others!
“And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. “ 2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT
If you are like me, however, I often have good intentions and don’t always get around to it. James talks about the waste of speaking good wishes without doing anything about it.
“Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?” James 2:15-16 NLT
So, let us not withhold. Let us let go! However, let us keep the words of Christ at the forefront. We are to give generously and privately with pure intentions.
We all long to be appreciated, and even admired, but God’s ways are not like ours. God sees what is done in secret. He knows the deepest intents of our hearts. Yet, he rewards us openly!
So, if you feel like you have given all you can but have not been appreciated by someone, do not be dismayed. God sees, and God will bless!
“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. Matthew 6:1-4 NLT
