Giving Alms: Matthew 6.1

From whom do you wish to receive praise. There are two avenues of approach to the situation. You could give so that the public is fully aware of the gift you are giving. In such a case your reward will be the thanks they give and the elevated stature you will attain in the social order. The other way is to do the giving in secret so that there are no witnesses to the event; that is, no witnesses except for God and perhaps some of the spiritual host. When this approach is taken, then God, who wishes to reward well doing, will openly give you favour in the eyes of others and/or blessings of health/wealth. It comes back to the scripture of “you cannot serve two masters.” Anyone can give some type of earthly reward. Only one master can give a full reward. You can receive, mammon from Man or blessings from God. Either you will aim for the temporal and lose the spiritual or you will aim for the spiritual and also gain the temporal. You will have either a win/lose event or a win/win event. When doing things for the approval of the crowd or a specific individual you gain only a temporary benefit from a temporal world. Only when doing alms with a good heart and for the eyes of God only do you achieve the double win.

:satisfied:

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