It is a common phenomenon for individuals to assist others in order to enhance their public image and promote their businesses. Some people offer help with the intention of influencing others and cease their assistance if they are unable to exert this influence. Others help in the expectation of receiving something in return, such as a gesture of gratitude, and may retract their support if they do not receive the expected appreciation. However, offering help to strengthen a relationship can have the opposite effect.
Be A Discreet Person
God encourages us to carry out good deeds and acts of kindness discreetly. While some individuals conceal their wrongdoings, they eagerly showcase actions they anticipate will earn public praise. God advises us not to seek external validation, but to instead integrate acts of kindness into our way of life. Unfortunately, people may overlook those from different platforms, as they are unfamiliar with them and are unlikely to receive acknowledgement or gratitude for their generosity. Therefore, public recognition often governs generosity. To eliminate this characteristic from His followers, Jesus instructs us to engage in righteous behaviour and offer assistance discreetly.
Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 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 6:1-4 (NIV)
These are excerpts from Jesus’ sermon on the mount which challenge to our perspective on giving. Do we ever provide assistance to others in secrecy? In most cases, the answer would likely be no. It appears that we lead a righteous life for the sake of onlookers and help others to present ourselves as kind-hearted individuals. Would we maintain a genuine relationship with God, even when there is no one to commend us?
Social Animals
Man is inherently a social animal, and it is undeniably challenging for us to detach completely from society. Human beings rely on one another for a multitude of necessities, where the social and physical requirements are closely intertwined, necessitating mutual support in our daily lives. However, while societal interconnectedness is essential, it is also crucial for our spiritual development, despite God calling us to place our trust solely in Him and not in fellow humans.
Unfortunately, in interpersonal relationships, people often completely disregard God and seek validation solely from their peers. When faced with rejection due to our honesty, we frequently lower our standards in pursuit of their approval. Some even compromise God’s truth to accommodate wrongdoers, fearing the loss of their support, inadvertently leading them away from God. Every individual possesses an innate inclination to please others in order to maintain a sense of control over them. These trends reflect a heightened reliance on others, overshadowing our trust in God and consequently subjecting us to condemnation.
This is what the LORD says:
Jeremiah 17: 5-6 (NIV)
“Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.”
Some people find themselves in a situation where they seem to be stuck in a cycle of problems, almost as if they are under a curse. It’s disheartening for those around them to see them dealing with one problem after another, and it makes social interactions difficult. However, it’s important to remember that there is always a chance to reconcile and seek peace, without worrying about what others think. Our social interactions are turning into a burden, even though God stands prepared to reconcile our relationship with Him, provided we earnestly seek Him without concerning ourselves with pleasing others.
While cautioning against seeking attention for our actions, Jesus also encourages us to be a positive influence on others. It may seem contradictory, but the key lies in genuine intentions. Understanding and embodying Jesus’s message is essential for leading others to His teachings through our conduct.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:15-16 (NIV)
When Jesus counsels discretion, He also urges us to set an example in our behaviour, so that others may honour His Father in heaven. Regrettably, we often showcase our good deeds to individuals who underestimate us and compromise our conduct by aligning it with theirs.
Illustration From The Scripture
To shed more light on the matter, the scriptures do not mention any man of God clandestinely carrying out the will of God. Most individuals performed miracles in public settings. Even if some of their actions were conducted in secret, the details remain undisclosed, leaving no opportunity for the scribes to document them. Fortunately, Jesus acted in discretion regarding His Father’s will, emphasising its value when revealed through conduct.
Most of the time, individuals are tested on their integrity with God by the devil through a fundamental question: “Are you a child of God?” Many people feel pressured to divulge their actions in order to prove to the devil that they are indeed children of God, even if God instructed them to act in secrecy. However, Jesus demonstrated unwavering integrity by refusing to yield to the challenges and by preserving the confidentiality of His identity and His Father’s will.
In the wilderness, the devil told Him that the earth and all in it was his, but Jesus, knowing very well to whom all belong, maintained silence. On another occasion, Pilate coerced Jesus to speak, telling Him that he had the authority either to deliver or kill Jesus. Even at that stage, Jesus did not disclose the will of His Father but told Him that unless and until the authority is given to Pilate from above, he can do nothing. Instead, He would have replied to Pilate that He was going to die on the cross to save him from eternal death, while Pilate was boasting about delivering Him from earthly death.
“Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
John 19:10-11 (NIV)
If Pilate had posed the same question for his own salvation, Jesus would have answered another way. However, Pilate’s intention was to assert his authority and extract a response to placate the crowd. We often find ourselves in similar situations, allowing our ego to cloud our judgment and thereby succumbing to the temptation of revealing secretive tasks to justify our position. The devil persistently attempted to assail Jesus’s ego, aiming to derail the will of His Father and coax Him to veer away from the path that led to the cross.
Let us deny ourselves, to ensure that our ego does not hinder us in the tasks assigned to us. Moreover, let us acknowledge that we are engaging in a battle that has already been won by God through His humble servant, Jesus Christ. We should strive to perform good deeds in secret, so that the outcome may serve as a positive example, leading others to honour our Father in heaven. By humbling ourselves, let us prove ourselves worthy of the victory achieved by our Father.
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ
1 Corinthians 15: 57 (NIV)
The Jordan Valley 
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