Matthew 6 is directly in the middle of what many have called Jesus’ famous “Sermon on the Mount.” This was when Jesus showed that much of what the people had been doing through their everyday lives and worship was not quite right. In Matthew 5, Jesus talks about how the people’s theology was not right because He had to remind them of God’s view of things like anger, adultery, taking oaths, and other things. In Matthew 6, Jesus begins to talk about how the worship of many in His day was not right. He specifically addresses three areas – giving, praying, and fasting. 

We will look at what Jesus had to say about giving as it plays an important part in this series that we are going through called A Generous Life. As we talk about living A Generous Life, you cannot think about generosity without also thinking about giving. The very definition of generosity is “the spirit and action of freely and frequently giving to others.”^[1]dictionary.com

Is there a way in which we can seem generous in the eyes of those around us yet anything but generous in the Lord’s eyes?  It is like the song that says, “What if we’ve fallen to the bottom of a well, thinking we’ve risen to the top of a mountain? What if we’re knocking at the gates of hell, thinking we’re heaven bound? What if we spend our lives thinking of ourselves when we should have been thinking of each other? What if we reach up and touch the ground to find we’re living life, upside down?”^[2]”Living Life Upside Down” by Truth and also Jason Crabb

I think that all of us would want to know if we were living our lives upside down. We want to know that we are doing it the way that God intends. Thankfully, Jesus has told us that we can live a generous life properly, and it’s more than actions.

God’s people are called to be givers.

When we look through the Bible, we can repeatedly see that as God gives His grace and blessings to a person, He calls them to be givers as well.

• Deuteronomy 16:16-17 = All your males are to appear three times a year before the LORD your God in the place he chooses: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Shelters. No one is to appear before the LORD empty-handed. Everyone must appear with a gift suited to his means, according to the blessing the LORD your God has given you.
• 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 = This is the point: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as he has decided in his heart – not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver.

We can see from these verses and many others that, as Christians, we should be people who are ready to give out of the blessings that God has given to us. I don’t think we have an issue with whether or not we should be givers. As Jesus comes to what He will say in Matthew 6, He shares about the important matter at hand: not that we give but how we give.

Read Matthew 6:1-4

Jesus addresses improper motives in giving

Our motives are the reasons behind our actions. They come from the depths of our hearts. From what Jesus is saying in these verses, our motives are the determining factor in how God views what we do. 

Jesus shares a couple of improper motives that were associated with people’s giving at times.

To be recognized by others

In Matthew 6:1, Jesus tells His hearers not to practice their righteousness to be seen by others. The term ‘righteousness’ literally means “acts of charity or giving to the needy.” Many were giving great amounts, but they would do so with fanfare to draw attention to it. Jesus tells us here that when our motive is to be seen by others, that will be the only reward. 

To get something in return

In Luke 14, Jesus taught about not doing for others just to get repaid for it. He said that when we do that, that return is the only reward we will get. 

We might be tempted to do something for someone because we know, down the road, they will return the favor. Sometimes, we are tempted to give to someone just so that we can hold them in our debt for a later time. There needs to be a proper motive for giving for Christ-followers.

Out of obligation

Another improper motive that arises at times is giving out of obligation. There is pressure that the person feels to measure up to what is expected from those around them. We feel that we are just supposed to do it. 

We looked at 2 Corinthians 9:7 earlier, which tells us to give as we have decided in our hearts. This assumes that we have spent time in prayer and sensed the leading of the Holy Spirit as to what we should do. It is not based on what those around us are doing or feel that we should do.

Proper Motives for Giving

Recognition that we are blessed to bless others.

The proper motivation for giving comes from watching how God gives to us. We come to the point where we see that He has blessed us in mighty ways. He has met our every need and even given us an abundance. 

When God called Abraham to come and follow Him, God said He would bless the entire world through him. The blessings that God gave to Abraham would help him and others. God hasn’t changed in His manner of giving. He still gives to us to meet our needs but also entrusts us with an abundance to share with others to meet theirs. 

If we are to have proper motives in giving, we must realize that our giving is not a show to impress others or to get accolades for ourselves. It is to reflect the One who first gave to us. 

Cheerful obedience to the Lord

As Christ-followers, we should seek to walk in obedience to the commands of our Lord in all areas of our lives. That means the LORD should direct even the “how’s” and “what’s” of our giving. 

2 Corinthians 9:7 tells us that God loves a cheerful giver. How can we be cheerful in our giving? Cheerful giving doesn’t mean that we do it with a smile. It means there is a delight in our hearts because we know the LORD has called and enabled us to give, and we get to exercise that. Are we spending time listening to the LORD to hear what He wants us to do with the blessings that He has given us?

When we give out of a cheerful heart, we will experience the fullness of what God wants to do with us.

Conclusion

Our generous God is calling us to live a generous life as well. As we do that, we show what He is like to a watching world. As Jesus reminds us, though, it is a matter much deeper than some actions that we do from time to time. It is a matter of the heart. Motives matter much more than the action itself. 

Our motives may not have been exactly what they should be lately. We may have craved approval and recognition from those around us. Maybe we have given so that we can call in a favor later. Perhaps we have given out of obligation. If so, hear the words of Jesus calling us back to the reality of how God sees this precious act of worship. 

May we ask the LORD to tune our hearts to match His. In doing this, we will have the proper motives that guide our giving and receive approval and recognition from the One who matters most: the LORD Himself.