Discover the Power of Giving

Giving is an important part of the Kingdom of God. In fact, giving is an essential part of experiencing the abundant life. Giving allows us to participate in the human condition and bring glory to God. Here’s what Jesus said about it.

“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.

“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.”  

Matthew 6:1-4 (ESV)

Do Good

By now, we can see that the Kingdom of Heaven is different than any earthly kingdom! In fact, we see that the Kingdom of Heaven is nearly opposite of what we experience in this world!

To do good is clearly one of the values of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus had just preached that we were to do good so that people would see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven.

Now, Jesus says not to practice our righteousness before others to be seen by them.

Is this a contradiction?

Well, no, it is not. The key words are ‘to be seen by them.’ When we are motivated by personal attention or accolades, our reward is in the here and now and not from our Father in Heaven. We must remember that the Kingdom of Heaven is not about us.

I have seen many announcements made about people’s individual giving. Some see this as a way to motivate others to give – a challenge to match their giving.

Some see this as a way to establish a standard of giving. I have become convinced that it is not our job to set a standard of giving. We must simply point to the biblical standards of giving!

Some make a big deal about giving. Rich benefactors frequently host parties to announce large gifts to worthy causes. This is not the kingdom way!

We are to give quietly, even secretly. There is a sense that the giving described here is not only secret but meets the need of those in need. This makes the gift effective as well as secret!

Principles to understand about giving

God receives all glory in His Kingdom. He deserves all glory and then shares that glory with his people.

Anything we do must be in accordance with Kingdom values. When we align ourselves with the kingdom as Jesus taught, we live in balance with his plan and experience the abundant life he promised. When we exercise faith in our giving, we release the power of God to work in and through us.

We are to be engaged in Kingdom activities. Here Jesus specifically pointed to alleviating human suffering. In fact, the kingdom is nearly all about taking care of needs: healing the sick, feeding the hungry, clothing the poor and proclaiming good news – to relieve us from the burdens of sin and guilt.

When we are part of the kingdom, we bask in God’s glory not our own! And his glory is greater than any glory we could ever receive.