Matthew 6:1-4 – “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
Chuck Feeney gave over $1.6B in complete secrecy. Chuck made his fortune as co-founder of the Duty-Free Shoppers Group and went to great lengths to give privately and avoid any recognition. In fact, he was so extreme that he set up a charitable foundation overseas and required confidentiality agreements for his giving. He was so secretive that his own business partner was not aware of the legacy of generosity he would leave.
The Righteousness of Giving
Just as prayer and fasting are considered acts of righteousness, so it is with giving. As with anything we do for the Lord, it is healthy for everyone to ask themselves why they give. Some answers may reveal that we are attempting to follow a rule or perhaps relieve inner guilt. Or maybe we can feel that we’ve “paid our dues.”
Asking why will shed light into how we give. In church, are you concerned that others take note that an offering has been put in the plate? Do you regularly talk about how much or what you support financially to others?
The Challenge of Giving Quietly
Jesus gives a stern warning against giving to be seen or noticed by men. In fact, He clearly states that there is no eternal reward for this type of giving. His concern isn’t that men visibly see our giving, but the condition of our hearts when we give. Giving to be seen my men is different than giving and being seen by men. Our giving should be an affair of the heart with the Lord and a natural outflow of our love for Him and never be seen as “filling a square” or “doing my part”.
Giving quietly is also a challenge to our level of faith and intimacy with the Lord. If we truly believe that God lives and sees everything, then we can be assured that He always takes note when we give of our time, talents and treasures. Giving quietly is also a way to grow more intimate with our Creator because we communicate that we are only concerned about pleasing Him and not men. If Christ is our highest priority in life, then the fact that He notices will be sufficient.