That your giving may be in secret

That your giving may be in secret

Scripture:

“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

Observation:

In this passage, we now see our Lord Jesus teach on the motive of our righteousness. At first, it seems strange how a few verses ago, our Lord taught that we should let our good deeds shine like light before men so that men would praise our Father in Heaven while in this verse, Jesus tells us not to practice our righteousness in front of others. The difference lies in the context. In the earlier reference, Jesus had just talked about the Beatitudes, teaching us to be meek, to be merciful, to have a pure heart before God, to be peacemakers, to be willing to undergo persecution for righteousness. Deeds such as these cannot help but shine out. However, in the latter context, Jesus is talking about specific acts of righteousness done with the intention to earn the praise of men. The motive here is not for God’s glory, but for selfish adulation of one’s own self.

Again, the words of Jesus cut right through the crux of the matter, straight to the heart. What is our motive in our actions? Our going to church, our serving, our giving to the poor. How strong is our desire to be honored by others, to be glorified and praised individually? Paul later calls on us to do nothing out of selfish ambition and vain conceit but in humility, consider others better than ourselves. Our old man cries out for attention and recognition, but the new man is submissive and gives glory to God through His Spirit. It is not easy to crucify our old man. It takes faith to reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God!

Application:

Examine our heart and the things that we do. Are we doing it with the right motive, out of a pure heart? Or do we have secret desires for recognition? Quite often, these desires are the result of one’s own insecurity. In a quiet place, close our eyes, and think of the Lord, praising Him that He accept and loves us just as we are, faults, warts and all. It is in this security in knowing how loved we are, that we no longer need the praise of men

Prayer:

Praise You, Father in Heaven, for the glory of Your name. Thank You, Father, for watching over me, for calling me and accepting me, just as I am. Praise You, Lord Jesus, for Your great love. In You O Lord I put my trust. Teach me to walk in Your ways. Lead me in paths of righteousness, but let me not chase after the praises of men. Bless thee O Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.