Examining the Giver’s Heart
In Matthew 5, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught on inward righteousness; and he gives six illustrations about murder, adultery, divorce, oaths, revenge, and love. In Matthew 6:1-18, Jesus focuses on outward righteousness such as giving, prayer, and fasting.
Jesus wants us to focus on guarding our inward righteousness before we do works of outward righteousness, and he warned his disciples, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 6:1, ESV).
In the context of this scripture, what comes to your mind when you read the word “reward”? Later in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus made a very clear statement regarding our reward. He said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).
What is your treasure? What is the end result of your faithful life in God? Brothers and sisters, the treasure of Christianity is Jesus, but our hearts are exposed by the treasures we pursue.
Do we practice good deeds in front of others to be seen by them, or do we do them out of our love and relationship with God?
Now, as Christians, our flesh is often drawn in the wrong direction. We want others to speak well of us, but we must guard our hearts in this area. The idea that we give or do good deeds to receive earthly blessings is so popular in the church today. However, there is no heavenly reward for the hypocrite, the one who uses God to build a worldly kingdom for themselves.
We give because we have received much, and God provides our needs. The Bible says that God gives to the giver, but our hearts are wrong if that is the reason for our giving. It is not the heart of God in giving. God gives because God is good, and we give because God is our Father.
It is not complicated. We give to people in need simply because we have something to offer, and God is the supplier of our needs. We are to have the heart of God and look on them with compassion, for it is only by God’s grace that we have anything to give.
Dr. Joshua West serves as director of church relations at Compel International, a ministry that seeks to plant the church where it doesn’t exist. Joshua’s desire is to raise up ministers who will correctly and boldly preach the gospel, glorify God, and teach sound doctrine.