There are many scriptures that clearly show that we have a responsibility to do something. For example, anytime Jesus says “when you do something” it implies that He expects us to do that. In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches on giving, praying and fasting and on each of these topics, Jesus begins by saying “when you give”, “when you pray”,and “when you fast”. We have to give to the poor, we have to pray and we have to fast. Let us focus on giving to the poor. Giving to the poor has suddenly become “fashionable” among many believers. I do appreciate all the amazing organisations that are doing great jobs in different parts of the world. Their support and donations have changed lives, transformed societies and helped to put people back on their feet. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing (Matthew 6:3) There are also individuals who have taken upon themselves to transform people from poverty to riches. These people go all out to assist the poor and the needy and some offer scholarships and bursaries for children of lower income background to have quality lives. These people, whether believers or not, are obeying God’s command of giving to the poor and will definitely be blessed. Jesus gives believers a warning about giving: “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” (Matthew 6:3). How can I give without my left hand knowing? Jesus’ explanation is that, “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 by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.” (Matthew 6:2). Jesus admonishes us to be careful that we do not become pleasers with our righteousness. Ultimately, we all want to receive blessings from God and have eternal rewards for our giving to the needy. When we give to the poor, it should have eternal rewards as well as earthly rewards. Therefore we should not let our giving be a “public show” but with an understanding that our Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward us (Matthew 6:4). How do we give in secret? First, have an understanding that it is our responsibility to help the needy among us. When we take our bath, we do not stand in the shower and take pictures to inform the world that we have taken a bath. It would be so ridiculous to find people updating their bathing statuses on social media. With an understanding that bathing is good for us, we do it without inviting the world to our bathrooms. Can we try this with our giving to the poor? “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.(Philippians 4:8) When we give, we should be mindful not to seek the praises of men but the blessings of the Father.
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