Matthew 6:1-4 "Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly."
Let me begin by reminding us all that Jesus is still addressing His disciples. This is still within His discourse that we call the Sermon on the Mount. He lays out what true blessings look like. He gives us a spiritual aspect to the keeping of the law. He gives us instruction on how, as His disciples, our behavior and attitude should differ from others.
Here we are instructed to pay attention to the manner and attitude that we go about doing for others. When we do something beneficial for another, our sole purpose should be to honor God. Doing good for the purpose of being seen may help others. We, however, rob ourselves of the quiet joy that comes from our Father in doing something beneficial for others.
We have all seen it happen. Someone gives millions of dollars to build a new wing on a hospital or open a new library or media center on a collage campus. It is reported on in the news before the construction ever begins. As a condition of the giving, the individual’s name is prominently displayed on the front of the building in letters that can be seen for blocks.
We often see these things and think how wonderful that individual must be. Or if we are a bit more cynical, we might think how self-serving the action was. What we seldom do is stop to think how wonderful it was the God moved in the heart of an individual to do such a work. As Christians, we must ask ourselves which matters most to us when we do good, for others to know it or for God to be glorified.
Dear ones, it is always better for us to honor God in our actions. If we have a good name, let it be because we love and honor God. When we honor our Father, He will reward us with His presence. When we seek the honor of men for our deeds, that fleeting honor is all we will have to enjoy. May we quietly do good and give God the glory!