Scripture

Matthew 6:1-4 (NIV)

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”

Consider

It’s probably safe to say that most of our good deeds arise from mixed motivations. Yes, we want to please God. We care about people and want to treat them generously, with kindness and patience and respect. At the same time, however, we may offer our gifts to others in the hope of getting something in return: acceptance, admiration, a debt of gratitude, material gain. In that sense, we bestow our generosity with strings tied to our own well-being. Then, if our good deed does not benefit us in ways we think we deserve, we may feel disappointed, angry, or hurt.

Jesus cautions us to be careful about our motivations. We have a choice, he says, in the type of reward we seek. If our goal is to ingratiate ourselves with others, to enhance our reputation and garner admiration, then we may get what we ask for but nothing more. Popularity is a slippery slope, promising a sense of personal worth yet all the while eroding it and distracting us from seeking our eternal value in God.

Gifts that are given in private, on the other hand, call attention not to the giver but to the gift. Whether a donation of money or goods given anonymously, or a kindness or sacrifice done without ceremony, the giving is motivated by our desire to please God and serve others. God promises to reward such efforts with the joy of his favor. Moreover, our recipient receives the priceless gift of unconditional goodness—an experience of our heavenly Father’s nature that shines through when our giving is truly selfless.

Pray

FATHER, through the life and death of your Son, you teach us what it means to love selflessly, and through his resurrection what it means to gain our reward in you. Help me to notice when I do good for selfish reasons or when I feel angry and hurt because people are not rewarding me with the attention and respect I think I deserve. Show me ways to love in private and to look for my reward in your sweet fellowship.

Reflect

John 5:41-44; Romans 2:28-29

Ponder

In doing good for others, what might you hope to gain for yourself?