Matthew 6:1-4
When you do good deeds, don’t try to show off. If you do, you won’t get a reward from your Father in heaven.
When you give to the poor, don’t blow a loud horn. That’s what show-offs do in the meeting places and on the street corners, because they are always looking for praise. I can assure you that they already have their reward.
When you give to the poor, don’t let anyone know about it. Then your gift will be given in secret. Your Father knows what is done in secret, and he will reward you.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A few weekends ago, my mom and her husband had dinner at a local restaurant. When they went to the register to pay the bill, it had already been covered anonymously. I heard a recent news story about a patron who tried to use her credit card at a Target store, and the card was denied. A stranger standing nearby paid the bill in full – more than $160. The Target employee who handled the transaction said the lady whose bill was covered dissolved into tears. She could not figure out why anyone would do something so generous for a person they didn’t even know. The employee said that the “Good Samaritan” who had stepped up to pay the bill told her, “I’ve been there. We’ve all had hard times and needed help at some point.”
These are just two examples of people who fully understand how to do a good deed without showing off. You may know of countless others… or have been the recipient of someone else’s kindness yourself. Such actions do not have to be directed at someone who is financially poor - i.e. lacking money. In one way or another, we are all the “poor” at one time or another… with needs that are physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. And God is calling us to meet the needs of others – regardless of their form – and to do so in secret.
I don’t know about you, but I get almost giddy when I do something for another person without any prompting or fanfare. God blesses me far more than the recipient. I’ve given money to those in need before, but there are so many other ways we can minister to the “hungry” among us. We can bless, encourage and uplift in countless ways… and here are just a few:
- Offer to help a neighbor or friend with a project – yard work, painting and repairs, pet sitting, spring cleaning, or even running errands.
- Send a note of encouragement to someone – “just because”.
- Share your extra baked goods – or double your casserole and take the extra to someone you know could probably use it… a busy family, an elderly person, someone who is recovering from an injury or illness.
- Offer to give someone a ride.
- When you are talking to someone who expresses worries or concerns, offer to pray for them.
- Donate to local charities… and offer your time and talents along with your money.
- Take time to stop and thank someone you encounter frequently – the checker at the grocery store…your pharmacist, hairdresser, or your child’s teacher or daycare worker…the server at your coffee shop or restaurant…your mail carrier. Tell them how grateful you are for their service.
- Clean your closet and donate clothing and other items you never use/wear to your favorite charity – or offer them to someone who you feel could use them.
- Spend some time with an elderly person or shut-in who doesn’t get much company.
- Check on your neighbors. Ask if there is anything you can do for them… and mean it!
More than ever, it seems we have become a society of people who only care about “What’s in it for me?”… and I’m not sure how we got here. But this is not the behavior God expects of Christ’s Disciples. The only “payoff” that matters is pleasing God… and the way to do this is to quietly and humbly meet the needs of others. I promise…the blessings will come your way. The “accolades” you may be seeking will be there… just in a better form than you expected. Fame and recognition are highly overrated, especially in the Christian realm! No horn is required… no acceptance speech need be prepared. What matters is how we serve God by serving others. How are YOU serving the “poor” among you these days?
©2012 Debbie Robus
James 3:13-16
Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom. It's the furthest thing from wisdom—it's animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
On ABC’s The View, Barbara Walters said she wished children did not take Valentines to school on Valentine’s Day. Several of her co-workers gasped and questioned her about this remark. She explained that there always seemed to be a few children who brought Valentines for everyone and had a big fancy box to collect those which they received in return. However, not all children could afford to bring Valentines for others. And just as hurtful, some children were excluded from the exchange on purpose. Walters’ own daughter experienced this as a tall-for-her-age, gawky 6th grader who took a Valentine for every classmate… yet some deliberately did not reciprocate and made her feel inferior and ugly.
We start early building competitive spirit - and downright arrogance, prejudice, and meanness – into our children. By the time they are in upper elementary school, many have drawn a line in the sand between the “Haves” and the “Have-nots”… the “pretty” and the “ugly”… the popular and the unpopular people. Some spend lot of time and energy trying to be in the former camps, rather than the latter… and they will do almost anything to belong.
In my adult life, I have found it interesting to reconnect with some of the people who were so busy talking, boasting, twisting the truth, conniving and bullying others in order to appear wise, popular, or more important. Often, their lives turned out anything but well… filled with heartaches, missteps, and disappointments – if not utter failure. Some of those who lived in the shadows, quietly and humbly minding their own business, have gone on to accomplish great success… to become wise, well-respected, honorable and productive human beings who glorify God and bless others in their path.
Today, I challenge you to spend a few minutes thinking about your actions – and reactions – toward others. What image are you projecting? Are you boastful, judgmental, prejudiced, conniving? Do you take whatever steps are necessary to get ahead, make yourself look better, appear wise and affluent, and get what you want… at the expense of anything or anyone in your way? Has this become so much a part of your psyche that you don’t even realize you behave this way?
Ask God to show you where – and how – you need to become more humble. Call on Him to help you control your mouth… and your actions. It’s never too late to grow in wisdom… to more closely resemble the person God has called you to be. You may not be able to go back to 6th grade and give every classmate a Valentine, but you can start to be a nicer person in your present circle of friends and acquaintances. Are you building a reputation for wisdom? Will this be the Valentine’s Day you truly begin to operate in God’s love for you and those around you?
©2012 Debbie Robus
