6 “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Matthew 6:1-4
Have you ever done something good… and really wanted someone to notice?
Maybe you gave some money away, helped someone move house, or bought groceries for a struggling neighbour — and just hoped someone would say, “Wow, that was generous of you.”
Jesus knew we’d feel that way sometimes. But in Matthew 6, He teaches that generosity is more about what God sees than what others see. He teaches that the most meaningful generosity isn’t loud or flashy — it’s quiet, hidden, even secret. Why? Because God sees in secret.
Jesus isn’t against giving publicly (He even says in Matthew 5:16 to let your light shine). The issue is why we give. Is it for God’s glory or our own? Are we giving to build His kingdom or our reputation?
One pastor put it like this: if your name is on a plaque, that might be all the reward you get. But if your gift is hidden in the secret place, God will reward you in ways that plaques and applause could never match.
What is the heart behind your generosity?
