March 2

Giving Without a Whisper

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. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. — Matt 6:3-4 BSB

No promise is made to those who give to the poor merely to be seen by others. They receive their reward immediately and cannot expect to be paid twice.

Let us give in secret—even to the point of forgetting our own generosity. Give so often and so naturally that you no longer take note of it, just as you wouldn’t think twice about eating your regular meals. Give your alms without even whispering to yourself, "How generous I am!" Don’t try to reward yourself; leave the matter to God, who never fails to see, record, and reward. Blessed is the person who is quietly busy with kindness: they find a special joy in their unknown acts of generosity. This is the bread that, when eaten in secret, is sweeter than the feasts of kings. How can I indulge in this delightful luxury today? Let me have a true feast of tenderness and a flow of soul.

Both now and in the future, the Lord Himself will personally see to the rewarding of those who give alms in secret. This will be in His own way and time, and He will choose the very best reward. How much this promise means will only be fully revealed in eternity.