How Then Shall We Give?

By way of introduction, my name is Maureen Sullivant and our family has been serving in Thailand since 2008.  After language school, we moved to the city of Phitsanulok, Thailand where my husband Mike has started Song Kwae Baptist Church.  I spend most of my days homeschooling and feeding our four children ages eight through fifteen years old. 

Matthew 6

Missions is giving, right?  Giving of our hearts to Christ to be used however He wishes.  How well do we do in giving of ourselves graciously?  

Matthew 6:1 says, “Take heed that ye do not your alms (mission or charity work) before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.”

Do we endeavor not to serve to be seen?  It is easy to feel unseen on the mission field at times.  One year, the tourist slogan here where we serve was, “Unseen in Thailand.”  Some days I felt that not even God could see me in Thailand.  What frail faith!  If we are serving Jesus Christ, we will be able to have satisfaction in simply knowing, “Thou God seest me.”  What a self-centered state of affairs my heart is in if I have to be seen to be satisfied.

Verse two tells us not to sound a trumpet to announce our arrival and intentions to serve!  Don’t call everyone to attention so they can watch you do your ‘thing.’  As missionaries, do we not like to constantly sound a trumpet? Let people know what amazing servants of God we know we are?  Reminding people what we’ve sacrificed to be able to serve God on a foreign field?  I know that for myself, I can get to the point where I feel pretty self-righteous and entitled to a little respect.  If not respect, I at least shouldn't have to suffer disrespect, right?  So much for Christlikeness!  I’m sure we can all share a humble sounding hash tag we’ve read on a missionary post that made us cringe a little bit. 

In verse sixteen, Jesus condemns hypocrites who disfigure their faces to pretend to fast.  Jesus says that when we fast, we are to go about our day in such a way so as  not to appear to fast.  In other words, don’t go looking for sympathy, affirmation, or attention.  As missionaries on a foreign field, we are required to fast – to do without for a period of time – in many different areas of our lives.  Time with our families, time in our home churches, time in our home countries, fellowship with people who understand where we are, you name it!  We all have a list that is a little bit different.  How well are we fasting?  Do we go about our lives in such a way that we don’t draw attention to ourselves, or do we already have our reward here on earth?  Our attitude in this area has profound impact on our children as well.

In this passage, Jesus gives us nine guidelines for selfless service.

    1.      Don’t serve to be seen – verse 1

    2.     Store treasure in heaven – verses 1, 20

    3.     Don’t get people’s attention while you are serving – verse 2

    4.     Serve secretly – verse 4

    5.     Pray secretly – verses 5, 6

    6.     Connect with God through prayer – verses 7-15

-       Remember God is the source of fruit 

    7.      Be willing to fast – to do without – cheerfully – verses 16-18

    8.     Don’t try serving two masters – verse 24  

    9.     Don’t worry about the future – verses 25-34

-       God has the future firmly in hand.

By Maureen Sullivant