FORGET ABOUT IT!--
Don't Let Your Left Hand Know What Your Right Hand Is Doing
Through studying the Bible, it ultimately becomes clear that everything we are told is for our own good. We eventually learn some of the ‘whys’ to God’s Principles, as with this one regarding our motives. It’s in our best interest that we don’t keep our focus on being rewarded, but remaining obedient; obedience will bring blessings, if we surrender to it. And through remaining in self-satisfaction, we actually run the risk of losing those heavenly rewards that God wants to bestow on us—
“Now, it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God.” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2)
Therefore, when we focus on those good feelings that come from doing good works, we miss out on the whole point, which is to glorify our LORD, rather than ourselves. The Bible is clear on this precept, saying our own righteousness is like filthy rags before the Lord. Because when we do ‘good deeds’ aside from the Lord, that’s self-righteousness, which satisfies only our cravings for feeling good about ourselves:
“But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)
Moreover, many do fall under this deception, even believers have said “Doing good things makes me feel so good!” It’s great to feel good, but that feeling must come from the joy of being used by God for His Glory, rather than the momentary thrill of elevation of self.
And prosperity preachers are only too happy to help believers fall under the hypnotizing spell of self-promotion; that believers should see their tithes and other giving as a receipt, that now that they have given, God owes them for their good deed because that’s what seed-sowing is all about, that we ‘reap a harvest.’
BUT, that’s NOT why God wants us to give! We are not supposed to give to reap a harvest, we are supposed to give because our hearts of full of desire to give out of love for God and others. It’s God’s Will for us to be givers. What His Word says is wee are to be ‘cheerful givers’—
“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly out of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2Corinthians 9:7
***As a side note, it’s important to see the vast difference between the law of tithing and the freedom in Christ for the New Testament believer…
And as for our reward, if God does have a harvest for us we ought to be grateful and say so, but to make that our focus takes our eyes off of Christ and keeps it on ourselves. If we do make that self-satisfying feeling our main focus and motive, our hearts are not in the right place for giving, hence, the filthy rags verse above, and this principle covers all our good works, because motive is always what matters most to GOD.
That’s why the prosperity preachers are the only ones getting rich, except theirs is not the wealth that God blesses, but the kind rooted in evil, that God will curse, as we read in Galatians 6:7, Proverbs 28:20, and Malachi 3:9—
“You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.” (Malachi 3:9)
God’s Word is clear that we should not allow ourselves to dwell on any sort of reward for our giving. In fact, Jesus has instructed the exact opposite, by telling His people to not even let their left hand know what their right hand is doing, because it keeps our minds off of ourselves and our own desires for gain, so that we main keep our focus on Christ and what we are doing in His Name, not our own name:
“But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,” (Matthew 6:3)
Moreover, we are to put back into the kingdom and make THAT our desire, so that we may continue to give and give more.…
“Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.” (2Corinthians 9:10-11)
“Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,
‘In what way have we robbed You?’
In tithes and offerings.
9 You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation.
10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.” (Malachi 3:8-10)
“That there may be food in My house” says it all; God expects when He blesses us with increase that we use that increase to increase our blessings of others. He desires that we pour out a blessing to His Kingdom people.
Moreover this passage is proof of God’s Promise to keep blessing us, as we bless others; it does NOT say that we are to continue increasing our own wealth and feel entitled to do so, or that He will make us wealthy in the name of our giving!
***The increase in which God’s Word speaks is not to be thought of as a personal financial gain, but a gain by which we then use to bless others--
“Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase;” (Proverbs 3:9)
Other Pertinent Scripture:
“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before me, to be seen by the. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1)
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rathe than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:10-14)
“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.” (Philippians 3:7)
It may take some time working with the Holy Spirit, but if God commands it, He also will make us able to take our minds off of ourselves, as He will also do with everything we work with Him to accomplish—
“make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews13:21)
Therefore, let us not pay attention to our good deeds, but instead not let our left hand know what our right hand is doing!
“But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand known what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:3-4)
NKJV