“Examine your motives to make sure you’re not showing off when you do good deeds, just to be admired by others; otherwise, you will lose the reward from the heavenly Father. So when you give to the poor, don’t announce it and make a show of it just to be seen by people, like the hypocrites in the streets and the marketplace. When you demonstrate generosity, do it with pure motives and without drawing attention to yourself. Give secretly and your Father, who sees all you do, will reward you openly.” – Matthew 6:1-4 TPT
As humans, there is a special feeling we do have when we are recognized and celebrated by others. Naturally, we want to be recognized and esteemed highly at every instance; we feel this way because we are human. Hence, we feel bad when people fail to give us the accolades we desire or deserve.
However, God demands more from us. He wants us to help others that are in need even when no one knows. God blesses us to bless others. In rendering our charity, our motives should not be to gain public recognition but to serve God through the resources He blessed us with. Every opportunity we have to help every person in need is an opportunity to serve God.
Every act of kindness to someone, is to the Lord and every one who obeys will be rewarded accordingly. In Mathew 25: 42- 45 Jesus narrated that “For when you saw me hungry, you gave me no food, and when you saw me thirsty, you gave me no drink. I had no place to stay, and you refused to take me in as your guest. When you saw me poorly clothed, you closed your hearts and did not clothe me. When you saw that I was sick, you didn’t lift a finger to help me, and when I was imprisoned, you never came to visit me.”
But the people responded that “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty and not give you food and something to drink? When did we see you homeless, or poorly clothed? When did we see you sick and not help you, or in prison and not visit you?’ Then Jesus replied to them saying “Don’t you know? When you refused to help one of the least important among these my little ones, my true brothers and sisters, you refused to help and honour me.”
Taking care and showing mercy to the sick, the poor, the homeless, and the needy are acts of service to the Lord and indeed, these are the kind of sacrifices the Lord seeks. Nonetheless, when you demonstrate such benevolence, do them with pure motives of service to the Lord and without drawing attention to yourself. Do your charitable acts confidentially, and your Father who sees all you do in secret will reward you openly.
