“But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” Matthew 6:3-4
This month’s #givingpoint is one that created a major shift in my giving life: Anonymous giving. Like last month, this month’s verse has two applications that are vital in the life of a giver.
#Givingpoint Number One – What we do in secret, God reveals and rewards openly. This is a two-edged word. Luke 8:17 in the New Living Translation says this, “For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.” If we perform evil deeds in secret, they eventually come to light. Why would doing good deeds be any different? There is no difference except that when God rewards, He does more than anything man can do, and He does what ONLY GOD can do. When we give anonymously, we remove human power of repayment and give that power to God. After all, how can man repay what he knows nothing about? Which brings me to…
#Givingpoint Number Two – Giving anonymously whenever possible touches a heart condition that we all have: Pride. When I give anonymously, the ability to take credit or create indebtedness goes away. Not only do I as the giver, and the other person as the receiver, learn to look to God’s Goodwill, we learn to depend on His timing and His method of reward/provision. This level of deep dependence and meekness is extremely humbling. And humility is always good, but especially where giving and receiving are concerned.
A side note about God’s timing and methods: God cannot be manipulated. Remember that giving is about the condition of our heart, more than anything else. And He rewards according to our motives. But even when our motives are pure, only God gets to determine when to send rain and what crops we will harvest. Sometimes He rains on our businesses, finances, or ministry. But sometimes He rains on our good health, safety, home and family, or other cares of this life. But other times still, He may take our charity in this life and store it up in heaven where it can never be lost, stolen, or destroyed.
Do we trust Him enough to give? Give without recognition? Give even if we never see reward in this life? That’s the ultimate form of anonymous giving. And those kinds of givers will find that they always have more than enough to give…miraculously!
Father help us to be the kind of givers who always give, and are willing to wait until eternity for you to openly say before all, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34)
I’m praying for you…
With Great Expectation,
Dawn~
#Givingpoint Number One – What we do in secret, God reveals and rewards openly. This is a two-edged word. Luke 8:17 in the New Living Translation says this, “For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.” If we perform evil deeds in secret, they eventually come to light. Why would doing good deeds be any different? There is no difference except that when God rewards, He does more than anything man can do, and He does what ONLY GOD can do. When we give anonymously, we remove human power of repayment and give that power to God. After all, how can man repay what he knows nothing about? Which brings me to…
#Givingpoint Number Two – Giving anonymously whenever possible touches a heart condition that we all have: Pride. When I give anonymously, the ability to take credit or create indebtedness goes away. Not only do I as the giver, and the other person as the receiver, learn to look to God’s Goodwill, we learn to depend on His timing and His method of reward/provision. This level of deep dependence and meekness is extremely humbling. And humility is always good, but especially where giving and receiving are concerned.
A side note about God’s timing and methods: God cannot be manipulated. Remember that giving is about the condition of our heart, more than anything else. And He rewards according to our motives. But even when our motives are pure, only God gets to determine when to send rain and what crops we will harvest. Sometimes He rains on our businesses, finances, or ministry. But sometimes He rains on our good health, safety, home and family, or other cares of this life. But other times still, He may take our charity in this life and store it up in heaven where it can never be lost, stolen, or destroyed.
Do we trust Him enough to give? Give without recognition? Give even if we never see reward in this life? That’s the ultimate form of anonymous giving. And those kinds of givers will find that they always have more than enough to give…miraculously!
Father help us to be the kind of givers who always give, and are willing to wait until eternity for you to openly say before all, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34)
I’m praying for you…
With Great Expectation,
Dawn~
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