As A Matter of Faith
In Mathew 6 Jesus was quoted as saying, “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored my men. I tell you the truth; they have received their reward in full. 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. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
We certainly all have known people who make it fairly obvious that the good deeds they are performing are definitely for appearance sake. Yes, what they are doing is worthwhile, but their intentions are lacking in the right motives.
I’m also sure we have had encounters with the Good Samaritan types whom always seem to have “strings attached” to their offers of kindness to us or perhaps others.
Jesus speaks to us about some of these issues in Mathew. Jesus states that we should not look for rewards here on earth for our actions of giving and kindness.
It’s always nice to get a “pat on the back” for our good works of giving but we should not look or yearn for it. Also, we must always be sure that our motives for giving are not obscured with selfishness and that Our Good Deeds are rooted in the compassion formed from our love in God, with no thought of reward for ourselves. Often we may not be fully aware of our subconscious incentives derived from the wrong reasons.
So the next time you set out to help someone in need, just remind yourself to examine your motives carefully. Be positive that you yourself have not, “attached any strings” to your good actions!
© Phillip E. Sorant ******* 2010
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