Would You, If No One Noticed?

2011 April 26

by Tyler

In today’s age of the internet, technology, and social media, everyone wants to share everything that is happening all the time. I touched on this subject a couple months ago, but I want to look at it in a different way today. Matthew 6:1 has a warning for us:

Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven (NLT).

We can argue some other time about these rewards in heaven, they’re not the point of this post.

I recently watched an episode of the new show Secret Millionaire on ABC (watch the episode I watched here). There was a lot to like about the show (highlighting great non profits gone largely unnoticed, showing the impact people with money can make by giving a little) and probably a lot to dislike about it as well (you can rant about that somewhere else). But at the end of the show I had to ask myself: “Do I think she would have given all the money away if this didn’t air on national television?” Of course, a pretty judgmental question to be asking but it’s what ran through my head.

I often ask myself questions like this about things related to church: “Are they motivated to do that because people will see them to be Godly?” or “Is this what they did or what God did?”

This weekend my church is leaving our building to serve the community around us. It made a little bit of local news already. I’m not sure how I feel about that. Are others wondering if we’re doing this to make news like I’ve questioned about the tv show? I know my church isn’t doing any of this to get noticed, but perception is reality and I’m sure many will read the news as our Christian ploy to make ourselves look better.

You might say to me, “Settle down, this is really just a matter of where your heart is.”

So I ask you…when people share their good deeds in public, is it good as long as their heart is in the right spot?

Or is it more complicated than that?

Filed under: church Tags: church

http://www.carusophotography.com Jay

Motivation is always key.

Are you airing something in public to draw attention to it so that more people will be involved, or are you doing so because of wanting to be noticed (ie pride)?

I look at the Charity Water campaigns. Doesn’t it have more of an impact when they show video of a well being dug or the first time children drink clean water? I would say so.
http://www.manofdepravity.com Tyler

Motivation is pretty tough to judge from the outside though. I guess my main point or question is that if people perceive campaigns as a selfish egotistical move, are they merely being judgmental or is your perception important to consider? Or maybe all that matters is what God sees in our hearts?
http://www.fredmckinnon.com fred

T
the reality is … a good story often will get noticed. In yourlocal example … if the church prepared a press release and sent it out … that’s not so cool imho. On the other hand … if the news heard the buzz and picked up the story … well let God be glorified in it. Even when Jesus would heal someone and say “tell no one” … word always got out.
http://www.manofdepravity.com Tyler

Good point on the reference to Jesus’ healings there Fred.
http://www.dadlife.net kevin

I agree with Fred (and Jay). Unfortunately, it’s tough to judge somebody’s motivation. You could be teaching a budgeting class to homeless people, for free, every Friday morning. You tell nobody (other than your wife), you just do it. Somebody finds out and tells a local tv station, who sends a reporter out to interview you. You shy away, telling her “thanks, but no thanks. This isn’t about publicity, I’m just helping people that need help.” She insists, you continue to avoid the interview. Then you go home, see the story on the news – minus your quote. People might say, “Why in the world did this guy call up the news to tell them what he was doing?”

What started off (and continues to be) a selfless act, is perceived as quite the opposite. Your motives are right, your heart is right. Yet you are being judged for the way you serve people.

Maybe that’s an extreme example, but hopefully it makes sense.

All that to say – I don’t watch the show, for that exact reason. It’s hard for me to think motives are pure, when you are volunteering (or being paid) to be on a nationally-aired TV show displaying your kindness. I’ll join you on the couch of judgement.

Would You, If No One Noticed?

Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven (NLT).

We can argue some other time about these rewards in heaven, they’re not the point of this post.