It is in the Human Nature that we look for ways to elevate our status among the crowds. To crown ourselves good, wholesome and to be one of the admired in this race we call people. But is that the way we were initially created? What do we lose by tooting our own horns? What blemish do we bring upon our heads for announcing our good works? The plight we succumb to by following the nature of man instead of the nature of Spirit can bring us to folly. By all these questions lies one truth, one answer to beckon the horn from the mountain and bring us to a conclusion that will have most heads shouting their dues.
Matthew 6:2 NASV
“So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.”
I’ve seen a lot on Social Media lately about what people have done for their fellow human beings in the “Spirit of Giving”. Covering a bill at the Grocery Store, buying the next four coffees in line, or adopting a family in need for the Christmas Season are just a few examples of the announcements I have seen. And while in their minds, their intentions seem innocent enough to announce the wealth they have shared; the act derives from pride and causes a seeking of man’s approval and congratulations. Their far leap to jump on soap boxes to feed the hungry will leave them abandoned of reward and instigate a deeper sensation of emptiness. Why? Because they have not sought their Father’s reward, but sought the reward of man. And just as Jesus tells us to not let our left hand know what our right hand is doing, we have not only announced our good works and broke the secret of giving, but waved a flag over our sacrifice to crown ourselves in self-given glory!
But why is it so important that we keep these good works a secret? Does it not please our Father to help those in need?
When acts are done in charity, they must be done with the purest of heart. A heart that is full of Love and Truth. A heart that does not judge or condemn. One that does not set expectations of any kind. We may give to one who is suffering, but our expectations of a “pat on the back” are placed on the heads of others. We may not judge an individual for their situation, but unintentionally blame another who doesn’t fit the mold of our perspectives of one who is worthy of charity and one who is not. We become the deciding factor on who receives and who does not. We think that our evaluation holds credit. We decide that the needs of one outweigh the needs of another; and therefore we give outside of the realm of true blessing. When God is the deciding factor of where our assistance or charities go, the blessings expand the realm of our world, not just one man.
When we seek to give, are we not to pray in secret for the ones we see suffering? How many times have you been unable to give monies or things, but instead prayed for someone’s life to change and it did? True blessings come from God, not man. Solutions that come from God are not about the flesh, they are about the Spirit. When true blessings comes in Spirit we find ourselves without the need for charity because God provides in plenty for all those who seek Him! If we lead one another to rely on each other instead of God, what good work have we really accomplished? We don’t always know the hearts of men, so allowing our Adamic Nature to evaluate a circumstance, we may find ourselves choosing unwisely to reward a wayward heart.
Proverbs 16:18 NASV
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.
Let our giving be God inspired. Let our seeking of Him bring us to a true place where He allows us to bless one another by His ways instead of our own. We must stop trying to define who needs what, for we truly cannot know what God knows of one man. By defying God the opportunity to choose who is blessed in a season, we set ourselves up for failure. We don’t know exactly what a man needs, even when we think we do. For it is not bread of wheat that feeds the people, but Bread of the Word that fills the souls endlessly. And it is not the water of earth that quenches the undying thirst of man, but the Water of the Spirit that causes relief. When we lay down our ways to accept His ways, true goodness is shared with the world, causing all men to find Salvation, which is the greatest gift of all.
So, the next time we feel led to give charity, let us pray first. Let us ask the Lord sincerely to put on our hearts who He has chosen to receive. Let Him point out where we should share our wealth. Because when those gifts are given in secret, they will manifest God’s Provisions far greater than we could ever imagine. And our reward for giving will become true blessings on our heads rather than appreciation from lost souls.
For more from Corrie Vallance and Her Ministries Visit LCTLove.com or See her Business Page at CorrieVallance.com.
KEPT COVENANT 