"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."
This fourth chapter of Matthew contains some of the most misunderstood and abused lessons that are to be found anywhere in the New Testament.
Today's quote teaches us how we are to correctly do our charitable giving. It very clearly demands that any time we extend the helping hand of giving to someone in need, we are to do it is such a way that assures no one else will ever know about it.
The act of giving is a spiritually fulfilling experience for which God has promised great rewards that will also be given in secret. However, if giving is done in such a way as to publicly demonstrate the "goodness" of the giver, purely for the sake of one's own ego, in the eyes of God it is not considered giving at all.
True Christian giving should never be made known until such a time as the one who has the need might choose to reveal it.~
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