Welcome to Day 1 of the Matthew 6 study! I’ve been working on this post for 1 week now… Looks like this will be a weekly thing. Sorry folks, less time to blog these days now that I’m working & going to school.
Anyway, it’s time to dive in! Let’s see what Matthew 6:1-4 has to say on Giving to the Needy:
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.
I interpret this scripture as a good reminder of our intentions. Let’s face it, we are human. We can be selfish, prideful, and fearful when it comes to giving. I think Matthew is reminding us to a) give without any intention of receiving in return b) to bring glory to God, not ourselves and c) to do it with a cheerful and fearless heart.
Giving is a gift. We know this because Jesus gave His life for us on the cross, so that we may receive the gift of eternal life. Most importantly, we need to remember that this is the best gift to receive and give. This is the mission of Christ followers and the purpose for why we give. Through acts of service and/or tithing, we give our time & money with a hope & prayer that others will receive the gift of God {eternal life through His son Jesus Christ}. Think of it as re-gifting… Except, you’re giving this gift because you love it so much, you want others to have it {God’s love} as well.
To me, the second most important part of giving is all about the position of your heart. Which we will touch on a bit more in the Treasures discussion; Matthew 6:21, “For where you’re treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Give freely. Give without the intention of receiving in return. Matthew tells us, our reward will be given to us through our Father in heaven. Someone told me once that we can either receive our reward on Earth by man or in heaven by God. This takes patience, which is not always easy. But we serve a faithful God, and I have a feeling our reward in heaven is far greater than anything we could obtain on this Earth. When we give with a cheerful heart, God blesses us with His joy and love anyway!
Next, it can be hard to give because we are stingy beings. San Diego has the second largest population of homeless people in the nation. Upon moving here, I was shocked by all of the panhandlers with on the corners with cardboard signs. With our church, we had the opportunity to go downtown to God’s Extended Hand and feed the homeless. This was such a humbling experience for me, and my husband. For some, it’s hard to have an open heart towards the homeless. Let’s be honest, we wonder what they are going to spend our well-earned, money on. And next, why don’t they just go get a job? We work hard for our money. Well, God has spoken to my heart regarding this issue. He helped me to realize that it doesn’t matter what their situation is or how they’ll accept your gratitude. The ultimate purpose behind giving is what God is doing in our hearts, not others. So regardless of what or whom we are giving to… God is working in our hearts to reveal His purpose & blessing in our lives, and hopefully others.
After all, we (Christians) are the hands and feet of Christ. This means that God has given us the opportunity to bring life into others. Matthew is teaching us to give out of the love in our hearts, not for anybody else, but God.
Lastly, I want to add fear to this discussion. I know it can be frightening to approach someone in need. You don’t know what situation they are in or who they are. Giving to the homeless involves interaction with a complete stranger. This can be scary. But I remind myself that the Lord is my shield and protector. We have to trust that He will keep us safe, as with many other situations in life.
Failure is another element of fear. Some lack confidence when it comes to sharing the gospel. Our preacher always says, you don’t have to have a PhD to share the gospel. We are all a mess. We are human. Let your mess be your message. Take courage!
So, next time the opportunity arises, will you allow pride, greed or fear to creep in and stop you? Or will you allow the Holy Spirit to intercede and take over? How can you impact your community through giving to those in need?
I hope y’all have a blessed & fruitful day! Stay posted next Monday for my discussion on Prayer.
<3, HLMW
Healthy Life of a Military Wife 