Secret Giver

 " Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in Heaven. So, when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." 

                                                                -Matthew 6:1-4


        There are moments in scripture where Jesus is very direct in the message he gives to the people, and the beginning of chapter 6 in Matthew is no different. To start, He never speaks a word that could have meant something else. "When you give to the needy", not "If" you give. As children of God and followers of Christ, we are commanded to help the people who are in need. We are commanded not to do is make a show or production when we give. The religious leaders in the time of Jesus believed in the practice of helping the poor and the widows, but only when the general public were watching. Think of it in todays' terms as an influencer on social media "blessing" someone worse off. I won't say that all handouts are given to gain more likes on your page, but I will say that we should be creative in finding ways to lend a hand without anyone else even being aware we do it. The glory we receive by helping our brothers and sisters does not and should not come from man, but from the Lord above, who sees all we do, even the secret things. The reward should come to us in Heaven, not now on Earth.     

    It is easy to want to gain something whenever we give, but that is rooted in a selfish heart, not a generous one. God has called us to be better, and we embrace this truth by staying quiet when we give. Be an anonymous giver to a charity asking for help, or a person who is alone on the street. Find the joy in being a blessing without the pressure of receiving the praise. Let's serve others as quietly as possible and Let God celebrate us after we leave this place. 


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