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Monday, October 22nd (Day Eight)

Read:
Matthew 6:1-4

"...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 in secret will reward you."

Reflect:
The journals of Mother Teresa reveal that, at the height of her worldly fame, she felt the most spiritually depleted. She would lament day after day that she felt like she would pray and no one would hear; that she would listen and hear nothing. She wrote these journal entries immediately after she had received the Nobel Peace Prize. While the entire world was celebrating her as a humanitarian, she was struggling to live in peace with God.

Many of the experts that have reviewed her journals speculate that she was suffering from depression, but I also think Mother Teresa was able to write honestly in her journals because she did not put her trust in what everyone else was saying about her. When the world said she was great, she admitted that she was weak and needy. This is a stark example of taking seriously the teaching of Jesus in this passage. No matter how famous she became for her legendary generosity, Mother Teresa never celebrated herself.

In some respects, generosity is as dangerous to our souls as greed. Jesus says that giving should be a matter between you and the Lord. Just as Jesus gave himself up on the cross out of obedience to the Father and for the good of his people, we should trust him and follow him by giving generously for his glory and not our own.

Apply:

1. Why do you think Jesus says it is spiritually dangerous to let our generosity be seen by others?
2. Note that Jesus says "when you give to the needy" and not "if you give to the needy." He is assuming that we will be generous, but he challenges us on our motives. In thinking of your own pattern of giving, is this a safe assumption? Why or why not?

Pray:

1. That the Lord will make you generous as his follower.
2. That the Lord will protect your heart from giving to receive praise from others rather than out of thankfulness to Christ.