December 1st - Caring for others "in secret?"

The story...

Is it helpful to keep our kind deeds or gifts secret?  Secrecy may prevent unhealthy attachments for our own sake or benefit.  In secret, we may better model our inward hopes sourced from within our hearts. It may enable experiencing the offering of love to another person - experienced grace.  Maybe it's an outward way to resist our central tendency to promote and protect self?  Maybe it'd feel right because its more intrinsically consistent with a good heart?

“1. Take care not to practice your righteousness in the sight of people, to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. 2. So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, so that they will be praised by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4. so that your charitable giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you."  Matthew 6:1-4  (NASB)

Matthew exposes a selfish motive for giving and suggests an abnormal alternative.  This secret type of giving may be evidence of a good heart - one who doesn't need the approval of others.  At a minimum, it describes a heart that wants to walk right with God and their fellow man - loving our neighbors as ourselves.

The only church in town will proclaim God's truth and shine Light within a dark world.  Care will be offered from those in Christ.  People will grow to work out their lives with a more confident hope characterized by love and joy.  Graceful people will more naturally give in secret.  The love of God will be witnessed even though much of these internal realities will be hidden within guarded people who work out their lives within a dark world.

Just for today...

"Have I made progress in my effort to correct my faulty attitudes? Have I let discouragement plunge me back into my old habit patterns? When something I did had consequences that made life difficult for me, did I try to blame someone else?"  One Day at a Time (p. 336)

"I began to see that my way of caring often meant reacting and manipulating. I'd do something nice for someone because I wanted to be liked . . . Sometimes I wanted to attach myself and feed off someone mentally, emotionally, and spiritually . . . Sometimes what I call "love" is really just control."  Hope for Today (p. 336)

"Gifted surprise; Wonder why - Sense love; Wholly be."   Am I a Poet?