By Nina Mistula
What do you get when you give? Big or small, I am sure you have given something in the course of your life. Matthew 6:1-4 says, ““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.”
What is the meaning of giving? It is an act of worship that demonstrates your trust in God. You do not give because it is required. You do not give because everybody else is doing it. You give not because you will get something in return. You give because you trust in God. If you want to give, just do it. Not because you will get something out of it.
Giving is not only financial. Giving is also in serving others. Everybody wants to be appreciated when they give. They always want to get the credit. When nobody tells them that they did a good job, they question themselves and question why they did it in the first place. Do not be self-centered in your giving. Think about others all the time.
If you are going to give,
Do not be a show-off (V. 1) - If you get praise on earth for all the giving that you do, then that is your only reward.
Do not tell others about it. (V. 2) - Stop bragging about what you did to others. Even if nobody sees you, God sees you.
Application
Philippians 2:3-8 says, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”
Be humble (V. 3) - Jesus is God, but He did not brag about it. He performed so many miracles but He told the people He healed not to tell anybody about it. But man’s nature is different. Man wants to be appreciated loudly. Do not expect man to applaud you; you will be disappointed. Remember that all you do should be for God. Let Him see. That is good enough. God gives and takes away. Everything you have and do is from Him.
Look out for others (V. 4) - Thomas Hobbes, a 17th century philosopher once said, “Human beings always act from self-interest.” You do not do anything that you do not like. But as Christians, you should look out for others as well. All the decisions you make affects the people around you. Choose wisely.
Obey God (V. 8) - When God asks you to do something, obey. Every time you obey God, blessings follow. Every time you give, you feel blessed. They always say it is better to give than to receive, not expecting anything in return.
When you do something good, make sure only you know about it. When people praise you, that is your only reward. It is difficult to give when you have nothing to give. But if you have God, you always have something to give. Even if people do not say thank you or appreciate what you have done, give what you can. If you are on the verge of giving up on giving, God will reward you in heaven. He sees you. Matthew 6:4 says, “So that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
You always have the capacity to give. God is a generous God. Everything comes from Him. Be a blessing to others if you receive a blessing from the Lord.
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