Why do we do what we do? There is an easy answer to this … and it is to be appreciated by other people – especially by those we consider family or friends! But that has to change …
Matthew 6:1 – 4 (NLT)
“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
For me, this is a very familiar scripture. I have known and understood (so I thought) this scripture for most of my life. But recently, I have come to a deeper understanding of what these verses are saying. I’ll try to explain.
I want to focus on two parts in these verses (they are in bold above.) Have you ever asked yourself what “good deeds” are? Or even what “publicly” means? What about “others” … who are they? I will tell you what I think about these in a moment. But the “don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” is a little more straight forward. That just tells me to not announce what I did to someone else. Basically … keep it a secret if I am able.
Good deeds – anything you do. Leaving groceries for someone in need, helping someone change a tire, giving someone money. That list is the sort of list I would have made in the past. I have since added to this. Doing your job at work, making beds, doing yard work, setting up chairs for worship, setting up Sunday School rooms, and any thing else that is something you might do to help other people in some form or fashion.
Publicly – anything you do that someone else might notice (or that you hope they will notice. 
Others – any one who is not you. People at church, spouses, family members, co-workers, strangers, etc.
I believe there is a great lesson for everyone here. We so desperately want to be appreciated by people. We aren’t necessarily looking to be glorified or exalted above others (although we struggle with this too), but we are simply wanting to know that someone else appreciates the actions we take to make their life better. But this is what God is talking about.
Some ways we let the other hand know what’s going on is in casual conversation. For example, you may be in a conversation about kids not being taught how to change a tire by their parents. And you say something like this, “The other day, I stopped for this car on the side of the road, and there was this 20 something just sitting there because they didn’t even know where the spare was. Fortunately, I was able to help them get it changed.” Now … you didn’t really brag on yourself, but you let someone else know what you did. Guess what … you have received your reward in full.
Someone at work may have done something poorly, and you went in behind them and fixed it. Someone else says, “My, so and so did a good job with this.” And you, just wanting to make sure the company doesn’t promote a dolt say, “Well, if you really knew what happened, you might not think that.” And then, you proceed to tell them the truth of the matter. You have received your reward in full.
Or your preach a sermon or teach a lesson (and pastors and teachers everywhere could affirm this one), and you ask – for the purpose of improving of course – what did you think of the message today, or did you get anything out of that lesson? You have received your reward in full.
Ultimately (and probably impossible for me … not sure about you), but I believe God’s desire is for us to do whatever we can to help our brothers and sisters in whatever way we can as an act of obedience to him. And, after we do it … I think he wants us to look for our reward from him and not the people we assisted (or those around).
With all that said (I hope it made sense) <– Funny, I just typed that without even thinking. It’s kind of like me looking for your appreciation … I believe we should look for ways to thank others for their service or the things they do. Like I said at the beginning, we all do thrive on being appreciated from others. And I think this is a thing God built into us. However, I don’t believe God intends for us to go looking for it. But I do believe God intends for us to look for ways to give it to other people. And no … by me finding a way to appreciate something you did … I am not taking your reward away that God has promised.
Maybe – if you think about it – if we put more effort into showing our appreciation for what others have done, the need to go out and seek that appreciation would dissipate.
Go with God,
Donald B
Great blog. Truly insightful! Will be checking back in the future.
http://UriahMinistries.wordpress.com
tim kurek
I had a weird dream last night that I gave several hundred dollars to a charity only to need to it back desperately. Suffice it to say that in my dream the Red Cross wasn’t happy with my request. HA!
I’m sorry to say i disagree here. This sounds a lot more like legalism than freedom. Christ has set us free not bond us by rules of how we have to go about serving people. Serving is awesome, but to say you can never talk about something you did, if it is a “good deed” leaves us basically to just talk about our failures. Is that okay?
I would especially disagree with your pastoral comment about asking, “What did you think of the message?” This question is vital to my preaching. I usually sit down with my wife and 1 or 2 trusted friends and ask them if they learned anything, if they agreed strongly with anything, if they disagree with something. This allows me to reflesh out the sermon, and helps me become a better pastor.
There is times when being quiet about our deeds is appropriate and probably more often then not. However, the wonderful thing about scripture is when you read it as a whole, it is a balanced text. The Scriptures also so, “Let you light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in Heaven.” Is that not a contradiction to you entire post that says, if we do just that we have received our reward in full?
With this approach we tell people, “do good things, but shut up about it or you will screw yourself out of God’s reward!” So now we are adding to the Legalism that says, “You can and should do it in your own power, if you do this and not that you will win God’s favor and blessings. If you don’t do it exactly like this, God will not bless you.”
I hope this comment is scene and accepted as constructive criticism. I invite you to dialog with me in an edifying manor, that we may sharpen one another in the Lord.
your brother,
Mike
Mike,
You say that you disagree with me, but I think you really don’t. I say that because I think I am not getting my message across to you appropriately. I agree with everything you have said in your email. I think it is important for pastor’s to seek critique to help them improve on their preaching. I do this for my pastor on a consistent basis, and he does the same for me when I have the chance to speak.
However, I am referring to the people who do things for the extreme purpose of being noticed for self gratification rather than for the purpose of glorifying God.
To let your light shine before men means to do good things all the time. Be an example by your witness. It does not mean – and I think you agree if I am reading you correctly – that you do something good and then vocally tell the world about that event – that is unless it is used in a teaching environment or as an example.
But – as is more often the case – we tend to seek acceptance or affirmation that we are good rather than seeking to glorify God.
As a youth pastor, I constantly have people telling me what a great example I am for them because of the effort they see me putting in toward ministering to the kids. However, I don’t have to verbalize my skills to them. It is something (a light) that is shining before them.
Like I said at the beginning … I think we agree more than you think we do.
Thanks for the comment! I mean … after all … if I were saying what you have written that I said, I would already be a hypocrite for even having this blog.
Go with God,
Donald B