For The Glory Of God Alone
“But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” Matthew 6:3
Some people want every good thing they do to be well publicised. If they give money to some good cause, they want it to make the headline. If they are kind to the poor or relieve some case of distress, they are particular that it should be duly published. They take pains that their good deeds should not fail to be credited to them.
But as disciples of Jesus Christ, he doesn’t expect us to have this kind of attitude. He taught that seeking publicity mars the beauty of giving; and that instead of announcing what we have done, we should not even let our own left hand know that our right hand had done the good deed.
But of course, Jesus did not mean that we should never do good if it will be known. He didn’t say we should only give where the act would be in absolute secrecy.
It is the motive that Jesus was addressing. His disciples should never give for the sake of men’s praise. Such acts lose their value before God when the motive is not to honour Him but to seek men’s approval.
We should be willing to do good and let Jesus receive all the glory while we stay back unknown and unrecognized.
Florence Nightingale did so much good in hospitals in the Crimea until her name was enshrined in every soldier’s heart yet she had a principled objection to having her photographs taken or her portrait painted so that she might be forgotten, and that Christ alone might be remembered as the author of all the blessings which her hand had distributed.
“Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” Matthew 6:4