“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.” Matthew 6:1-4
Today’s Christian daily devotional
“We’re raising money for the Sandy Hook families. Come join us, Jules.” My friend Willow throws me a T-shirt endorsing her latest cause.
I smile at Willow; she’s always the first to run out and help anyone who needs it. Willow has a big heart for others and yet she doesn’t even believe in God.
How sad it is to notice that many of my “Christian” friends claim to have the love of God in their hearts and yet it takes some serious recognition to motivate them to part with their time or finances.
As I read the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:1-4, it is plain to see that His words were rich in value, but they could never satisfy a person with a starving ego.
Giving to others, whether we claim to love God or not, will always reap a benefit. When we are bold with our generosity, we connect with our community. This allows us to be a part of something much greater than ourselves. We truly get to experience the brotherhood of humanity as we reach out to touch others in a real way.
God was quite aware of the multitude of benefits that come along with being a giver. This is why Jesus expressed that the true motives for giving would be exposed if one happened to strip themselves from the benefits.
When credit is not received for generosity, would our giving be affected? If so, our motive is self-serving. Even though we are being kind, we really aren’t opening our hands from a pure heart; but one that is tainted with the twisted sense of pride for wanting to be known as a generous person.
When you give, is it really with the motive to be a blessing to others? Or are you giving to get the approval of others? In Matthew 6:1-4 Jesus says we should hold out for something much deeper: the eternal reward that our Heavenly Father has promised for those who give out of pure motives.
Do yourself a favor and be humble about your giving. Forget the t-shirt and remember that God sees even when no one else does. He’s the only one that matters anyway.
“Dear Heavenly Father,
As soon as I think I am doing just fine, I am awakened to the depths of my depravity.
Even in my giving, I can have such selfish motives! Thank you for opening my eyes to see things the way you see them. Lord, help me to hate my wicked ways.
Purify my heart so I can bless you as I bless others. I want my reward to last forever and I know I have to go much deeper than I have been.
In Jesus’ precious name, give me a true giver’s heart, to give generously, without a desire for recognition. Help me to be satisfied just knowing I made you happy. That should always be just enough. Amen.”
Thank you for reading today’s Christian daily devotional on verses: Matthew 6:1-4
Please check back and see what we have for you tomorrow!
Author: Julia Shalom Jordan
*This devotional was written in honor of my friends: Jeremia Simonen,Gracie Creswell, Julie Waldon, Kelly Gordon and Ben and Mary Andrews—all humble people that have given in secret out of their big and pure hearts. (I accidently ‘caught’ them!)