“In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:16 NLT)
In some respects, this verse seems to contradict Matthew 6:3-4 where Jesus says: “But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” But Jesus was dealing with two distinctly different issues. Good deeds and giving money or other gifts to someone are not one and the same.
The word used in the verse from Matthew 5 has more to do with the quality of our lives which we cannot hide, even if we wanted to. It speaks to our outward appeal, not only by how we dress and carry ourselves, but by the quality of our lives. It literally speaks to how we look – that we are clean, dressed modestly and appropriately; that our language is uplifting, courteous, and honoring to the Lord, not dirty, abusive, or vile.
Our goodness should be honorable, praiseworthy, genuine, and come from a heart and life that is pure and morally upright. Our goodness should be appropriate to the person and circumstance. For example, if someone is grieving, our countenance and words should reflect comfort and consolation; in other words, our words should match the circumstance the person with whom we’re speaking is experiencing.
The good the Lord expects us to do in the course of our living reflects an attentiveness to His voice and directives, but it’s also conscious of the circumstances of those to whom we speak. The reality is, if we’re seeking to live in honor of the Lord Jesus, we often don’t even realize how we’ve positively affected someone with whom we may interact.
When we do something for someone, we obviously shouldn’t do it to gain recognition or for some type of payback, rather, we should do it in a way that points honor and recognition to Jesus. A friend told me of a time when they were in line at the grocery and the person in front of them was counting their money and trying to determine what they could keep and what they had to put back.
My friend bent down behind her and pretended to pick up a twenty-dollar bill and said to her: “Ma’am, excuse me. I think you dropped this.” They protected her dignity while helping her in an otherwise embarrassing situation. How many times do we miss opportunities to help someone discreetly and without drawing attention to ourselves? Too many, I fear.
Voltaire wrote: “Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do.” We may not feel any conviction to help someone in a situation like that, but my question would be: “Why not?” If we have the means, why wouldn’t we want to help. As a Jesus follower, shouldn’t it be our second nature to be alert and sensitive to those around us?
It doesn’t have to be about money. The Lord prompted me in an airport to compliment a young woman on her hair style. She wasn’t particularly attractive, and her head was down, with a concerned look on her face. I said, “Your hair looks very nice. It’s stunning!” She lit up like a Christmas tree, and it didn’t cost me a cent.
The Lord never asks us to give out of what we don’t have, only what we do have. We have the capacity to be attentive, to compliment appropriately, to give of ourselves and our resources without painting ourselves into the proverbial corner.
Remember Jesus’ words in Luke 6:38: “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full – pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” Here He’s speaking of money, but I believe the principle applies to other ways we give out of the goodness we have been given. As believers we should never be guilty of not sharing Jesus’ goodness freely and often.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 