When we do good works, giving to others who may be in need. Are we giving from the the heart, or doing it so that others will see our good works? There are many different ways we do good works. And the following scripture tells us it's better to do certain things in secret.
Matthew 6:1-4
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
I sat one night considering for quit some time all the different ways we might give alms. And I also took some time to consider some of the reasons for our acts of kindness to be done in secret.
Sure we will be rewarded for doing our good works in secret. But I think there's a much deeper reason why we should do some things in secret.
The number one thing that hit me was while it is wrong for us to try and make ourselves look good in the eyes of others, by boasting about things we do, or by showing everyone this great deed we have done. There's something else that we are doing that we might not be able to see when we try to help another and make it a public affair. In effect we tear down that other person who needed the help, we put them on the spot before others, to them it might feel we are showing everyone else how poor and pitiful the person we're trying to help is, so that others can see how great we are. When we do this in the wrong way we are not truly thinking about the feelings of the one we are trying to help, but only ourselves.
So in a way if we give alms in public we build ourselves up and tear another down. When we should be doing all we can to build that other person up.
I thought it might be interesting to come up with some ways we might give alms, as in acts of kindness or charity towards others. And the best ways to go about doing such so we can look at some examples.
Can anyone come up with some examples, of how we should, or shouldn't give and how the way we go about giving can effect the person we are trying to help?
Matthew 6:1-4
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
I sat one night considering for quit some time all the different ways we might give alms. And I also took some time to consider some of the reasons for our acts of kindness to be done in secret.
Sure we will be rewarded for doing our good works in secret. But I think there's a much deeper reason why we should do some things in secret.
The number one thing that hit me was while it is wrong for us to try and make ourselves look good in the eyes of others, by boasting about things we do, or by showing everyone this great deed we have done. There's something else that we are doing that we might not be able to see when we try to help another and make it a public affair. In effect we tear down that other person who needed the help, we put them on the spot before others, to them it might feel we are showing everyone else how poor and pitiful the person we're trying to help is, so that others can see how great we are. When we do this in the wrong way we are not truly thinking about the feelings of the one we are trying to help, but only ourselves.
So in a way if we give alms in public we build ourselves up and tear another down. When we should be doing all we can to build that other person up.
I thought it might be interesting to come up with some ways we might give alms, as in acts of kindness or charity towards others. And the best ways to go about doing such so we can look at some examples.
Can anyone come up with some examples, of how we should, or shouldn't give and how the way we go about giving can effect the person we are trying to help?
thank you
