Christian Living

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October 14, 2011 – Hypocritical Giving
1 Take care not to do your good deeds publicly or before men, in order to be seen by them; otherwise you will have no reward [reserved for and awaiting you] with and from your Father Who is in heaven. 2 Thus, whenever you give to the poor, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites in the synagogues and the streets like to do, that they may be recognized and honored and praised by men. Truly I tell you, they have their reward in full already. 3 But when you give to charity, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 So that your deeds of charity may be in secret; and your Father Who sees in secret will reward you openly. – Matthew 6:1-4 AMP
This passage comes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. While this passage is very explicit about giving to charity, it also has a lot to say about recognition.
A few weeks ago Marlo and I watched an old television show on DVD. In this show, the local pastor wanted to raise money to buy a bell for the church. After a short discussion, the wealthiest woman in town said that she would donate the bell as well as the plaque to commemorate her gift. Being in church she was obviously a professed Christian, but she was also very unfamiliar with today’s passage.
Present day is no different. People donate money for causes they believe in. Whether donors give money, time, or land for parks, sports venues, or even a building on a university campus, many times they have their name placed on their work. Now in a corporate setting I understand very well the concept of advertising, but in a personal setting, especially if donors are Christians, I just don’t get it.
I know that people’s egos run wild in today’s society. People are looking for affirmation in everything good thing they do. Christians and non-Christians alike want a pat on the back or a plaque on the wall with their name on it. But we should never give to charitable causes out of recognition; we should give out of a pure heart because we believe in the cause to which we are giving. In fact, Jesus says that if believers seek personal recognition for their good deeds and gifts that they’re hypocrites. That’s right, hypocrites. They care nothing about being able to bless others, but are instead driven by the praise, honor, and recognition they can receive from others. Though they are rewarded, Jesus says that the reward from man is the only one they will receive.
Now do not jump to a conclusion and think I am picking on people that give money. They do things other than get sports stadiums named after themselves. People also endow money for college scholarships and even feed the needy. What I am saying is that if these people are Christians, then I believe they should check their motives and ask themselves why they crave so much praise from society. Jesus says that in receiving praise from men that donors are depriving themselves of a blessing from God. I don’t know about you, but I know I prefer anything I can get from God over any “atta-boy” I can ever get.
I think it is also important to point out this “look what I did” game has spilled itself over into churches. Many times churches have outreach programs where they fill tractor trailers full of canned goods for disaster victims or build houses in third world countries. This is all well and good and even godly. But when it makes the six o’clock news or the local newspaper I wonder about the motivation behind their actions. Was it for free advertising? Believe me, exposure in local media outlets is a lot louder than any trumpet I have ever heard. Churches have the ability to keep such deeds under wraps and should do so.
So what motivates your giving? Are you looking for a pat on the back or your name on a plaque? As Christians we should never seek recognition of any kind when we give. When we do, we always rob ourselves of the open reward God has in store for us.

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