Horn-free Zone - The One Year Daily Wisdom

Read Proverbs 29

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.

Matthew 6:2

This proverb seems so easy. We can give a gift or otherwise help someone in need, but we don’t go out of our way to tell everyone how great we are for doing it. What’s so difficult about that? But then we see a homeless person outside a grocery store and everyone is ignoring him, so we offer to buy him some groceries. The desire to tell everyone about our “good deed” is a strong one!

Jesus makes a serious point. The hypocrite gives to charity or helps a poor person but thinks in his heart: “It’s my gift that is helping that person,” or “If it weren’t for me, this charity would be lost.” Such an attitude takes God out of the picture and marks hypocrites—those who confess God with their lips but in their hearts feel that they are the ones making things better on this earth.

All good things come from God, and he uses us all in different ways. But our gifts and deeds are worthless apart from him. He is the one doing the work; he is the one changing lives and hearts, not us. It is a blessing and a privilege to be a part of any work for God, and we should always consider it as such.

A WORD FOR TODAY

Genuine giving is not attention getting.

Today, Lord, help me to give freely of my time and money for the glory of your kingdom. Help me to remember throughout all I do that you are the one in control, not me.