Ministry 101Sýnishorn

The motive behind our gift is more important than the gift itself. Paul said if he gave all of his goods to feed the poor, or if he made the ultimate sacrifice of giving his own life for someone else, and wasn’t motivated by love, his gift would profit him nothing (1 Cor. 13:3).

Many Christians give faithfully but never see the hundredfold return that the Lord promised because they have the wrong motives (Mk. 10:29–30). Paul said that God loves the motives of a cheerful giver—not the motives of one who gives grudgingly or out of debt (2 Cor. 9:7).

Jesus gave us the key to purifying our motives in our passage for today. He said, “But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth” (Mt. 6:3). Giving in a manner in which you will not receive recognition for your gifts is an indication that your motives are right and will grant you the true joy that comes through selfless giving (Acts 20:24).

Ask the Lord to show you an opportunity today in which you can give a kind word or a helping hand to someone who will not be able to repay you and in a way that others will never know about. This opportunity could be to a motorist in a traffic jam, a coworker, a spouse, a child, or any number of other people—many of whom won’t even notice your kind deed. Opportunities are all around us.