1 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.
Matthew 6:1-4 [NKJV]
As I tried to review some of my most recent daily bread entries, I am beginning to notice something of a pattern in the kind of message that God is trying to teach me (us). When we really think about what the message is trying to convey (reading between the lines), it is not so much about the things that we are doing, or what we are doing to help others. At the end of the day, everything we say and do as Christians/believers is down to the heart. It is all about our attitudes.
But ofcourse, I also understand that God is trying to speak to me through His word and within the context of my current circumstances in life. With everything that I have been experiencing lately (feeling really blessed by other people’s empathy, kindness and compassion), I got to understand and see it clearly what it means to have true empathy, kindness and compassion.
It is NOT the What, But the How When We Give/Do Something for Others.
Everything that I am reading today in Matthew 6:1-4 and later in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 is a reminder that it is not about what we do when it comes to helping others. It’s not even about how much we are giving to help others. It is about our hearts, and the intentions that we have as we are giving our time, money or resources. Do you only do it because you think that you might be able to get something out of doing the good deed? When it comes to giving, it also matters that when we give our best. Everybody’s best will look very different, and it is important that we understand that. Not everybody can contribute, or help at the same level. The simplest example I can think of is the kind of financial aid/blessing that I had experienced lately. Without naming people or how much they have helped me with, I know that everybody’s ability is different. But at the end of the day, it is about their sincerity and willingness to help. For example, if there are two people who can both afford to give 500, but one guy only offers 50, while the other offers 400. There is a huge difference, not just because of the amount. The first guy who is only offering 50 might actually be feeling selfish, while the second person is willing to give more.
Now, there are many reasons why different people can offer help at different levels and different capacity. It is not our place to judge that. As someone that has been on the receiving end of those help, I have nothing but gratitude and appreciation. But I am sure that God will eventually weigh their hearts in order to reveal their intentions and willingness. Like I said, it is not about the what, but it’s about the how when we do the giving.
Pure Intentions/Agenda
The second part of having the heart of giver is also about the kind of attitude that we have when we are doing the giving. Giving here doesn’t just refer to providing financial help to others. I believe that giving can appear in many different forms. It really depends on the circumstances and what can be offered to the receiver. The person could be needing help with finding work. Or maybe they need help with a medical bill because of a recent, unforeseen medical emergency. It can be so many different things when we think about it.
At the end of the day, our attitude as we do the giving is more important than the act of giving itself. And yes, God can always see our true intentions. We might be able to lie to ourselves about it, but God can always look into our hearts. We will never be able to lie to Him.
We are ofcourse reminded that our God is always a cheerful giver. When I am considering everything that He has done recently (by bringing these truly kind, empathetic and compassionate people into my life), and also by blessing me with a career opportunity that I have been working towards for almost two decades, I must admit that He has done a lot for me so far. And when God does something for us, He always does it because He wants nothing but the best for us. And He never expects anything back. So that is what we ought to follow and emulate.
Personal Prayer for Today
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for everything that You have shown me lately, and allowed me to experience so that I can understand this really important lesson about giving. Thank You for reminding me that it is more important how we give (the attitude) than it is the act of giving itself.
Thank You for also sending these individuals into my life. I could sense that it was more than just an act of giving with them. I could sense their willingness, their empathy, and their genuine kindness/compassion. And now that I have learned this lesson, I plan to apply it and pay it forward towards others in the near future (when I am able to).
In the mean time, I pray that You will continue to help me to check my own heart on a daily basis. I never want to forget this really important lesson about being genuine when it comes to treating/helping others.
I vow to give You all of the praise and all the glory. In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.
shermannatrix 
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