GIVE IN SECRET

Matthew 6:1-4
1 “Be careful that you don’t do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does, 4 so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. (WEB)

God is the ultimate giver. In John 3:16 we read... 'For God so loved the world that He gave...' And since we were created in His image, being generous is part of our spiritual DNA too. In 2 Corinthians 9:7, the Apostle Paul tells us that 'God loves a cheerful giver'.

But also in this verse, Paul tells us that our giving should not be out of guilt or under pressure. Let's read the entire verse... Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart; not grudgingly, or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. (WEB)

In today's Bible reading, Jesus tells us that we should examine our motives for giving. If we give to simply be recognized by others, then we are not giving with the right heart. Our God and Father loves it when we reflect His image by being generous as He is generous. Just as He doesn't give to be recognized by men, neither should we.

My prayer today is that we might all be overwhelmed with the generosity of our Heavenly Dad and give to others freely as we have received. May the Holy Spirit purify our motives so we do not give to get. May we be so filled with our Father's heart that we would not give to be recognized. And may the joy of the Lord cause us to love to give just as He loves to give! ...For our God and Father loves a cheerful giver!

Luke 6:38
“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.” (WEB)