If no one knew…

Would You Give If No One Knew?
Matthew 6:2–4

“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.”

Fundraising can become quite a production. Consider the Met Gala. It raises money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, yet most of the attention goes to who attended, what they wore, and how they looked. You can hear far more about the fashion than the cause.

Giving can work that way in our own lives too. We may do something genuinely helpful while quietly enjoying the attention it brings us.

Jesus asks us to consider our motives. Would you give if no one ever knew?

Our charity sometimes comes with benefits: recognition, an invitation, a plaque, or a tax deduction. Those things do not automatically make a gift wrong. But they can reveal how easily we shift our attention from the person in need to what we might receive.

Jesus tells us not to turn generosity into a show. Give because someone needs help, not because your reputation needs a boost. That can be a challenge even after we give. I know I can feel the temptation to bring up a gift later in conversation so someone will know what I did.

Are you giving for another person’s benefit or for your own applause? God desires to use us to meet needs for his glory, not our own.