“Be careful not to parade your acts of Tzedekah (charity) in front of people in order to be seen by them. If you do, you have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1)
It is important for every person to be genuinely affirmed by others, foremost for who we are rather than by externals. In the world, people usually rather value us for our status, attainment, or various ulterior considerations, overlooking one of the primary characteristics of God. No wonder so many believers strive endlessly to impress Him by their measure of religiosity rather than simply recognising that He loves us for who we are and embracing this reality amidst all our warts and imperfections!
To be a good custodian of the riches God has bestowed upon us is defined biblically by the extent to which we yield our lives, body, soul and spirit to Him. This surely is the highest form of ‘giving’ to which all other forms appear mundane in
comparison.
To give away our material possessions irresponsibly, if not guided by the Holy Spirit, or to gain applause from others, is meaningless and precarious. This applies to allareas of giving (such as our time, energies and talents) whether through manipulation, enticement or any other source contrary to the Divine will as clearly prompted by Him. Precious in the sight of the Lord are those who give in obedience to His leading, which is the highest form of generosity. In the words of the apostle
Paul:
“With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him. Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity. [Romans 12:1-2] (J.B. Phillips New Testament)
