Principle: Give/Do Something Secretly
July 27, 2013 Leave a comment
““Be careful! When you do something good, don’t do it in front of others so that they will see you. If you do that, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” Matthew 6:1 ERV
“Giving-disposing of property by voluntary transfer without receiving value in return”
Would it be nice to publish all our giving to everyone so that the whole world will know? Would it be a good example for others that we help out the poor sacrificially? What is the purpose of hiding our generosity from the public?
The reward system in the Kingdom of Heaven is different. From our perspective, the act of giving or helping someone should be done in the open for others to see so that it will invite more people to become more generous and also it will boost our “self” to give more.
One thing I learned from the Bible is the “principle of opposite”. If you think of something and you want to be Biblically correct, do the opposite. If you want to be first, be last. If someone slaps your left cheek, give the other side, if you want to have more, give. Love your enemies. Pray for those who curse you.
The lesson implied here in this verse is about the attitude of giving. The essence why we give or help the helpless is to show mercy (regardless of any outcome).
Don’t give because there is a reward waiting for you.
Don’t give because I want you to feel good about your actions.
Don’t give because I want your ego to grow.
Give or do something good because your heart told you so.
Give because you are given the opportunity to become God’s extension on earth.
Give because that is how God mobilizes His Kingdom.
Key points:
1. We are expected to give. The world will not be what it is now if people refuse to give their resources willingly (including time and talent)
2. There is a reward when we give. The reward is not really necessary. We give because we have something to give in excess of our capacity to hold. We have more than enough, so we give.
3. Giving is powerful, because it softens our heart (catalyst). The hardest thing to do in life is to give up something. But when you do, wait for a few years and look back and you can feel how rewarding it is to know that you made a difference in someone’s life.
4. Giving changes us more than the receiver. There is a magical feeling when you give. Hard to explain but worth a try.
5. Don’t think of rewards when you do something. Just do it without a hidden agenda. There is more pleasure and surprises when done this way. Imagine that you and a child are in front of a cookie jar with one cookie left inside and you really are hungry and craving for sweets. Give the cookie to the child and watch/observe the way he/she is enjoying the moment.
Who do you think received more pleasure?
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