Tis The Season

“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.  Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”    Matt. 6:3-4

Most of the time, I am not a big fan of secrets.  I understand the importance of confidentiality but I find that most secrets are simply topics of gossip that I am not supposed to know and then told to never repeat.  Or, they are really exciting news that I am told to keep until the appropriate time to share it with others.  That is a lot of pressure for someone who talks as much as I do.  Now for those of you who are thinking, “I’m never going to tell him a secret,” keep in mind that I didn’t say I wasn’t good at it, just that I am not a big fan.

However, there is one secret that we are commanded to keep.  Jesus taught that when we reach out to others with love and support, we should “not let our left hand know what our right hand is doing.”  In other words, keep our gifts a secret.  Why?  Well, God is much more concerned with the motivation of the giver than with the size of the gift.  Like with everything we do, God is looking directly at the heart to see if we are doing it for the right reasons.  In the passage above, Jesus is pointing out that even with such a caring act as giving to the needy; the true test is the motivation of the heart.  When we point out the gift so that others can pat us on the back for it, we are making it clear that our motivation was to edify self.  God sees right through that pseudo-benevolent spirit and sees a self-centered heart that is looking for the praise of man.  Now the person who receives the gift is blessed regardless of our motivation.  Yet, according to Jesus, our Heavenly Father is waiting to reward us with those heartwarming gifts that only He can give.  His criterion for blessing in this scenario is simple: a selfless, loving heart.

Christmas is the season for giving.  Over the next several weeks we will all participate in the Yuletide ritual of giving and receiving gifts to commemorate the greatest gift ever given; the coming of Jesus Christ to earth.  There are about as many rationales for giving gifts as there are people to whom we give.  Like the guy you barely know whose name you drew for the office party.  Or the niece and nephew you haven’t even met yet but just found out they were going to be in town.  Or the kids teachers that they love so much or maybe can’t stand at all (either way they get a gift).  And the mail carrier who is faithful to bring those packages to your door even if the weather is dreary.  And, of course, your precious family and closest friends who, by the way, are sure to get you something as well.  Giving is certainly a part of this season and if we are not careful, we will be totally stressed out trying to make sure every person is remembered and every gift is appropriate.

Now, here is my challenge.  As you go through this season of giving, try to keep a close check on your heart.  Jesus does not insinuate that we should not give to the needy or to those we love and appreciate.  He was, however, reminding us to make sure we are giving with the right spirit and attitude.  Try to make sure that your gifts are not intended to draw attention to you but rather to bring joy to another.  Remember, any attention that you draw to yourself only takes the emphasis away from the greatest giver of all; Jesus Christ. 

Father, this year help us all learn something new about the joy of giving.  Thank you for the greatest gift of all.

I love you all.  No secret there.  Thanks for reading.