The Secret Life
Of Successful Christians
Introduction:
"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order
to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in
heaven." -Matthew 6:1
In chapter 6 of Matthew, Jesus is giving us
practical instruction on Christian living. Specifically, He causes us to focus
on our motives. Whom, exactly, are we trying to please? It is entirely
possible, it seems, to spend a lifetime doing "righteous" things and
yet, not be right with God. Jesus tells us to "beware" of the
temptation to live for the applause of people. He further tells us, that if
that is our motivation, we forfeit any heavenly reward.
Part 1: Giving in Secret
"Thus, when you give to the needy,
sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the
streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have
received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left
hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." - Matthew 6:2-4 ESV
Giving is Important
Giving of our time and substance to the kingdom
of God is essential for the spiritual health of the Christian. Jesus also said,
"If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who
will entrust to you the true riches?" - Luke 16:11 ESV
In Matthew 25 Jesus tells about the coming
judgment of the nations. The litmus test between the "sheep" and the
"goats" is determined by the way in which the "least of
these" were treated in regard to their physical needs.
Avoiding Hypocrisy
The word Hypocrite comes from the Greek word hypokritēs which literally means "actor". In Jesus' day it did not
necessarily have the same negative connotation that we associate with the word
"hypocrite" today. Jesus is telling us not behave as an actor on a
stage playing to the crowd. We are not to seek the applause, fanfare or even
approval of the people around us. We are to give secretly and silently. The
reward we seek must not be the praise of people, but the approval of God.
In Luke 10,
Jesus tells the parable of the "Good Samaritan". Neither the priest
nor the Levite stopped to help the hurt man. Why? Perhaps it was because no one
was there to witness the act of compassion. This gives us an example of
"secret giving".
Things to ponder...
1. Do I only give if my giving is "tax deductible"?
2. Should I avoid public giving because someone might see me?
3. Do I ever put something small in the offering because others might be
watching and disapprove if they don't see me give?
4. Would I feel jealous if someone else was publicly praised for my
contribution, gift or idea?
5. How important is it to show an example of giving to those over which I
have influence (ie. my children)?
6. How does the following verse apply to this subject?
"So also faith by itself, if it does not
have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith and I have
works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my
faith by my works." James 2:17-18 ESV
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