S229P4 – Words to live by: charity perverted yields its own reward
Mt. 6:1-4
Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you.
His job was to develop the business, but his experience in that area was minimal. He started with standard tactics like online advertising, networking, and various promotions to bring in new clients. These did not yield great results, so he took another tack. For the right size donation to the local park system, a donor could commission a park bench with a plaque dedicating it to any person or cause. His idea was to commission several benches in several parks, each marked with the name of the firm. Commissioning enough benches also would raise the donor to medal-level recognition in the park system’s quarterly newsletter. That way, they could give while also gaining a new audience of prospective clients.
Charitable deeds, which include more than simply meeting a financial need, must come from a proper motivation of true charity. This is not some kind of spiritual advertising technique. The only goal is to honor God by giving because another is lacking. We are not to be charitable because it makes us feel good or increases our reputation. The end goal cannot be to elevate the self in any way. The pompous givers who practice a self-centered perversion of charity are rewarded with the temporary and unfulfilling recognition they actually seek. True charity, on the other hand, brings its own God-given reward, which is not a concern for the righteous giver. In fact, the one doing the charitable act is not even to give himself his own private, quiet recognition for his generosity.
When we practice the distorted kind of chari ty which brings attention to us and exalts us, we are not being charitable at all. We are really attempting to purchase our own exaltation from men, which comes at a higher cost than we might realize. We become the focus and the end game of a counterfeit charity, resulting in a counterfeit reward. This is a forfeiting of the reward God has reserved for true charity because our giving is inwardly motivated. When we give for the sake of self, we have perverted Godly charity, and there can be no Godly reward for that. Father, teach us how to exercise true charity that reflects the selflessness that motivates You to be charitable toward us.