Many times when we
give there is a type of kickback that comes or that we expect. It can be the simple words of thank you
letting us know that our gift has been received and accepted. Other times, there is a card or letter or a
tax receipt. When I went door-to-door
on my street collecting donations for the Heart and Stroke Foundation one year,
a neighbour told me he would rather donate by buying one of their well
advertised lottery tickets, presumably because there was a chance he would get
something out of it.
When we give in order to get something
back, however small, we are missing out on one of Jesus’ principles of
giving. He says, “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" (Matthew 6: 3-4).
When I assemble
all the paperwork for my income tax, it is hard to live out what Jesus
says. When I have to add up all the
figures, my left hand is all too aware of what my right hand has been doing. By claiming my giving on my taxes, it does
open up the opportunity for me to give even more when I receive a tax
refund. Even so, it is good for us to
give anonymously when the situation presents itself. One December when we were establishing ourselves after moving to
a new city and dealing with the upheavals of a career change, our family
received a card in the mail containing a large amount of cash but no
signature. This has been an example for
us to bless other families while remaining anonymous.
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