Genia Obal, from Montrose, British Columbia, talks about the time her 7-year-old daughter had just won $2.00 for her memory work in Sunday school. After the morning service, the pastor's wife congratulated her.
The little girl proudly announced, “And I put it all in the morning's offering!”
“My, how wonderful!” the pastor's wife exclaimed. “I'm sure God will be pleased.”
“Yes,” the child replied. “Now maybe God will let me do some of the things I want to do!” (Genia Obal, Montrose British Columbia, “Kids of the Kingdom,” Christian Reader; www.PreachingToday.com)
People give for all kinds of reasons, often to get something in return, whether its recognition from others or some kind of reward from God. Now, it’s not wrong to look for a reward from God, but God only rewards the right kind of giving.
So what kind of giving does God reward? What kind of generosity does God repay? What kind of offering does God prize? Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Matthew 6, Matthew 6, where Jesus describes the kind of giving God rewards.
Matthew 6:1 Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. (ESV)
God does not reward those who wish to impress others, so...
DON’T PUT ON A SHOW.
Don’t show off your good deeds. Don’t flaunt your righteous acts.
Now, the religious leaders in Jesus’ day recognized three disciplines as true acts of righteousness: giving to the poor, prayer, and fasting, and Jesus doesn’t necessarily dispute that in this chapter. He just disputes the way in which they did it. They did it to flaunt their righteousness. They did it to impress others with how “good” they were.
Well, God does not reward such so-called “righteousness.” You see, truly righteous people don’t care about what others think about them. They just want to live their lives in such a way that others think well of their God. They don’t want to put on a show. They just want to shine a light on Jesus! (Matthew 5:16)
Christian author and theologian, Paul Metzger, talks about one of his greatest living heroes: John Perkins. Now, Perkins is an African American Christian leader from Mississippi who was nearly beaten to death in the '70s for his work in promoting racial justice.
Metzger talks about driving the now-elderly Dr. Perkins to a benefit dinner in Portland, Oregon, 12 years ago (2007). Perkins was the keynote speaker at the dinner, which was raising money for an inner-city ministry that brought jobs and housing to ex-offenders and youth. As they drove along… Metzger asked Dr. Perkins what it was like for him now in Mississippi.
Dr. Perkins replied matter-of-factly, “I'm kind of a hero now in Mississippi. It seems that every time the state newspapers write something about reconciliation, they quote me. It's as if I created the word,” he said with a laugh.
There was a pause in the conversation. And then as he was looking out the window, he [said], “But when I think about how many homes my fame has built for the poor in Mississippi, I realize that my fame hasn't built any homes for the poor. So I don't put no stock in my fame.”
There were no television or newspaper reporters in the car—just Dr. Perkins, his daughter Elizabeth, and his young chauffeur (Paul Metzger). Well, that young chauffeur almost lost control of the car. Metzger says, “I rarely come across such a value system—in others or in my own heart.”
Then he goes on to say, “The Christian celebrity leverages the gospel for his or her own benefit. The saint asks God to leverage his or her own life and "fame" for the gospel and for people. The celebrity wants to be famous. The saint wants to be influential so that others might meet Jesus.” (Paul Metzger, The Gospel of John, Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2010, pp. 50-51; www.PreachingToday.com)
That’s the difference between shining and putting on a show. Please, don’t put on a show to impress others with yourself. Just let the light of Jesus shine through you to impress others with Him.
Besides, that takes all the pressure off! You no longer have to be afraid of what others think.
I like the way Jessie Rice expressed it in a letter to “Fear-of-What-Others-Think.”
Dear Fear-Of-What-Others-Think, she writes:
I am sick of you, and it's time we broke up. I know we've broken up and gotten back together many times, but seriously, Fear-Of-What-Others-Think, this is it. We're breaking up.
I'm tired of overthinking my status updates on Facebook, trying to sound more clever, funny, and important. I'm sick of feeling anxious about what I say or do in public, especially around people I don't know that well, all in the hope that they'll like me, accept me, praise me. I run around all day feeling like a Golden Retriever with a full bladder: Like me! Like me! Like me!
Because of you, I go through my day with a cloud of shame hanging over my head, and I never stop acting. The spotlight's always on, and I'm center stage, and I'd better keep dancing, posturing, mugging, or else the spotlight will move, and I'll dissolve into a little, meaningless puddle on the ground, just like that witch in The Wizard of Oz. I can never live up to the expectations of my imaginary audience, the one that lives only in my head but whose collective voice is louder than any other voice in the universe.
And all of this is especially evil because if I really stop and think about it, and let things go quiet and listen patiently for the voice of the God who made me and the Savior who died for me, in his eyes, it turns out I'm actually—profoundly—precious, lovable, worthy, valuable, and even just a little ghetto-fabulous. When I find my true identity in Christ, then you turn back into the tiny, yapping little dog that you are.
So eat it, Fear-Of-What-Others-Think. You and I are done. And no, I'm not interested in "talking it through." I'm running, jumping, laughing you out of my life, once and for all. Or at least, that's what I really, really want, God help me. (Jessie Rice, "An Open Letter to My Fear of What Others Think," Church of Facebook blog, 11-23-11; www.PreachingToday.com)
Stop living in fear of what others think, and start living in faith that God already accepts you as you are. As a believer in Christ, God has already declared you righteous (Romans 4:5); He has already called you His child (1 John 3:1); and He has already blessed you with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). So live with the assurance that there is nothing you can do to make God love you any more or any less than He already does. The Bible is very clear on this matter: There is nothing that will ever separate you from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39).
So take the pressure off yourself. Kick “Fear-of-What-Others-Think” out of your life, and don’t put on a show any longer. Even when it comes to your giving...
DON’T MAKE A SOUND about it.
Don’t announce your generosity to draw attention to yourself. Don’t be noisy when you give to the poor to impress others. Look at what Jesus says in verse 2
Matthew 6:2 Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. (ESV)
Or “they have received payment in full.” Jesus uses a business term here, which describes being paid in full for any goods or services rendered. He’s saying, “If you make charitable gifts to demonstrate your own generosity, you will get the admiration of the world—but that is all you will ever get. That is your payment in full” (William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Vol.1). So don’t expect any additional reward from God.
I find it interesting that the religious leaders in Jesus’ day also spoke against ostentatious giving to the poor. They said, “He who gives alms in secret is greater than Moses.” They also and “It would be better to give a man nothing than to give him something and put him to shame.”
In fact, William Barclay, in his commentary on Matthew, says there was a room in the Temple called “the Chamber of the Silent.” It was a placed where people could leave some money to secretly help the poor. A donor could drop off the money and leave. Then someone in need could go in and pick it up without knowing who gave it (William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Vol.1). And I suppose if you were there and saw someone going into that chamber, you wouldn’t know whether that person was leaving money or picking it up.
The problem was, in Jesus’ day, givers drew attention to their gifts by blowing a trumpet. They were not interested in helping the poor; they only cared about getting some personal glory. Jesus calls them “hypocrites” – i.e., those who play-act. They pretending to be generous, but they are only selfish, self-centered showman, who do it for the applause of an audience.
Ed Gilbreath talks about a chilly December evening in downtown Chicago, where he and about a dozen students from a suburban Christian college were Christmas caroling.
As they sang, a black man edged closer and eyed Gilbreath, the only African American in the group. His head nodded in rhythm with the melody.
Then after the song ended, he approached Gilbreath and said, “Say, brother, would you please help my family? We ain't got no money, and my baby needs formula.”
The man was in his 20s, but his tired and ragged appearance made him look much older.
“Please, man. I need to get us some food,” he begged.
Gilbreath glanced at the others in his group. They knew the safest response was to politely refuse. Yet they were Christians. Weren't they supposed to help needy people?
“Would you please help me?” the plea came again. “Just a few dollars.”
Gilbreath looked at one of his friends in the group.
“We can't give you money,” Gilbreath’s friend finally said, “but we can buy you what you need.” If the guy was telling us the truth, it was something they had to do.
“My name is Jerome,” the beggar said as they hiked toward a nearby convenience store. He lived in a city housing project with his wife and three kids. As they entered the store, Gilbreath noticed that his eyes seemed to brighten. Maybe they’d brought a little hope into his life.
Soon they’d bought him baby formula, eggs, and milk. This seemed a fitting conclusion to their evening of caroling.
Then, as they handed Jerome the groceries and bus fare, Gilbreath noticed his eyes had darkened into an angry stare. “You think you better than me, don't you?” he said. “You all think you somethin' cause you come out from the suburbs, buyin' food for the po' folks, but you ain't no better than me.”
“No…” Gilbreath replied, struggling to find more words, but nothing came. Gilbreath realized there was nothing he could say that would change Jerome’s mind.
After a moment of awkward silence, Jerome grabbed his bag of groceries and walked away. Then he suddenly turned and said sharply, “Merry Christmas.” It was not a warm wish, but a bitter statement filled with broken pride.
The December air blew colder. No one said a word.
There wasn't anything to say. Their holiday spirit had suddenly evaporated, and there was no way to bring it back.
Gilbreath says, “We might have resented Jerome and felt justified. But was he wrong? We gave him a gift. He accepted it. Should there have been anything more?”
That's sort of how it was at the first Christmas. Jesus wasn't born a helpless baby for applause. He didn't hang on the cross for the praise—those he died for made fun of him. Still, he gave selflessly and unconditionally. Gilbreath says, “Why had we expected gratitude and appreciation for our gift to Jerome?”
“Strangely enough,” he says, “Jerome gave us something far better than gratitude. He made us look hard at our selfish motives and gave us a sobering lesson on the real reason for giving. We were expecting a pat on the back. Instead, Jerome gave us a glimpse into the true meaning of Christmas.” (Ed Gilbreath, “O Come All Ye Faithful, Joyful and Triumphant,” Campus Life, Nov/Dec 2002, p. 42; www.PreachingToday.com)
Why do you give? Why do I give? Do we do it to get that “pat on the back, to get even just an expression of gratitude? No! Don’t give for the applause. Give like Jesus did; give selflessly and unconditionally. Don’t put on a show; and don’t make a sound. Instead...
GIVE IN SECRET.
Give without announcing it to anybody. Give without even remembering it yourself. Look at what Jesus says in verse 3.
Matthew 6:3-4 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (ESV)
Your left hand should not even know what your right hand has done! In other words, your giving should be so secret that the you quickly forget what you gave (Louis Barbieri, Bible Knowledge Commentary).
Does this mean that all giving should be anonymous? Not necessarily. Warren Wiersbe says, “Everyone in the early church knew that Barnabas had given the income from the sale of his land in Acts 4 (Acts 4:34–37). When the church members laid their money at the Apostles’ feet, it was not done in secret. In contrast, Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 (Acts 5:1–11) tried to use their gift to make people think they were more spiritual than they really were (Warren Wiersbe, Be Loyal). The difference, of course, was in the motive and manner in which they gave.”
Barnabas gave to encourage people, to meet real needs, without any fanfare. Ananias and Sapphira gave to make an impression, with the result that God struck them dead for their hypocrisy.
You see, it’s not so much the mechanics of giving; it’s the motive of the heart. Secret givers are NOT motivated by selfish ambition. They simply want to help.
Charles Spurgeon, a 19th Century British preacher, put it this way: “Let us hide away our charity--yes, hide it even from ourselves. Give so often, and so much as a matter of course, that you no more take note that you have helped the poor than that you have eaten your regular meals. Do your alms without even whispering to yourself, ‘How generous I am!’ Do not thus attempt to reward yourself. Leave the matter with God, who never fails to see, to record, and to reward. (C. H. Spurgeon in “Faith's Checkbook,” Christianity Today, Vol. 32, no. 5; www.PreachingToday.com)
Tri Robinson, a pastor in Boise, Idaho, talks about getting very involved in his church’s ministry to China when he was a new believer.
They started to aggressively train and send small missionary teams to Hong Kong, paying half their airfare and travel expenses. Brent, one of the pastors, had the idea of recycling used newspapers to raise the money.
They were so successful at it that they managed to raise thousands of dollars over a period of about three years. The only problem was that it took a massive amount of work, and all of it had to be done by volunteers.
Robinson was one of those volunteers, and every Sunday after church he took his family to a large retirement complex to do a weekly pickup. They would drive two vehicles to church each Sunday, his truck and the family car. Then on the way home, they’d stop and spend about two hours going from building to building to pick up the papers that the residents had saved. Every Sunday they would fill the bed of Robinson’s truck with papers. Then his wife would take the kids home in the car, while he returned to church to empty the truck into a storage shelter.
Doing the job was okay for a while, but after several months it started to get old. Usually there were people at the church to help, but one time, Robinson distinctly remembers unloading his truck all by himself. It was hard, unpleasant work, and it was a cold, windy afternoon. Robinson was about halfway through when the thought hit him that he really wasn't having fun. He felt all alone and very unappreciated. He wanted to be noticed; he wanted more than anything else for Pastor Brent to drive by and see him, laboring away at his stupid fund-raising idea.
Robinson was tired of no one knowing he had been doing this job week after week for months. He hated being invisible and he wanted to quit. He threw down a bundle of papers and plopped on top of the growing pile of what seemed a lot like trash. That's when he complained to the Lord, saying, “Please, Jesus, I just want someone to notice me.”
That's when Jesus answered him in his still, small but very clear voice: “I do notice you, Tri. You're not invisible to me.” Robinson says, “It wasn't that he was upset with me or rebuking me; it was just a matter-of-fact but tender comment.”
Tri Robinson attributes that experience over 40 years ago to his fruitfulness in public ministry today. He says, “We may chafe at being invisible when everything in us wants to be seen and appreciated. [However, we must] learn [that] we are always in full view of God. And [until] that's enough for us, our lives will never produce a harvest.” (Tri Robinson, Rooted in Good Soil, Baker, 2010, pp.72-74; www.PreachingToday.com)
“Your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you!” Jesus says.
So if you want a real reward from God, and not just the praise of people, don’t put on a show with your giving, and don’t make a sound. Instead, give in secret, and God will reward you publicly one day.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Commander Joe Rochefort broke Japanese communication codes. Stationed at an intelligence base in Oahu, he predicted the Japanese would attack Midway on June 3, 1942, which they did. Because of Rochefort's expertise, the United States surprised the Japanese Navy with its first defeat in 350 years. Japan lost four carriers, one cruiser, 2500 men, 322 aircraft, and their best pilots. Due to this crippling defeat, Japan eventually lost the war.
Surprisingly, Rochefort never received recognition for his efforts. Instead, some intelligence men in Washington, D.C., falsified reports and claimed credit, even though they had predicted a June 10 date of attack. Washington sealed the records for 40 years, and Rochefort was never properly rewarded. In fact, he was actually removed from intelligence and assigned to a floating dry dock in San Francisco.
In their book Deceit at Pearl Harbor, Lieutenant Commander Ken Landis, Staff Sargent Rex Gunn, and Master Sargent Robert Andrade tell about a note Rochefort kept on his desk: “WE CAN ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING PROVIDING NO ONE CARES WHO GETS THE CREDIT.” The authors write, “That was the attitude that won the battle of Midway.” (www.PreachingToday.com)
And that’s the attitude that wins the battles in your life. Don’t seek to impress others with yourself. Just quietly live your life in dependence upon Jesus.
