Spiritual Rewards for Hurricane Relief

I read this morning that financial contributions to the hurricane relief efforts in the Gulf area has passed one billion dollars. This, I believe, is an expression of the inherent dignity of humankind, the fact that we have been made in the image of God, who is generous, compassion, and loving. Even unsaved, nonreligious, and immoral people have been moved to help those who are suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Praise God for this. Moreover, God be praised for the followers of Jesus Christ who have responded to this natural disaster with Christian love. The great generosity of individual Christians, local congregations, and para-church organizations is not and can not be estimated. And it don't think it should be fully known... in this lifetime.

In Matthew 5:16, Jesus exhorts, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (NKJV) The lives and ministries of those who follow Christ should be characterized by good works. And God is glorified by the kingdom impact Christian service has on this lost, dying, and unbelieving world. So I am convinced that the Lord is glorified by the many pastors and churches and believers who have been so generous, merciful, and helpful toward those who have suffered loss. But there is another side of this. In the same discourse, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus goes on to say, "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from our Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly." (Matthew 6:1-4). In that same chapter, Jesus goes on to make that same point in relation to prayer and fasting (6:5-18): make sure the audience for whom you perform spiritual acts is God, not man!

Many Christian churches and organizations have been making appeals for donations and volunteers to help the displaced multitudes. Naturally, these appeals have included explanations of the immensity of the needs and the opportunities to help. And it is only proper that these appeals be coupled with accurate accounting of how funds and contributions are being used. And we should share the testimonies of the lives that are being touched and the ways that God is choosing to use us to minister to others. But there is a line that must not be crossed. We must be careful not to congratulate ourselves for our generous we have been, how much we have sacrificed, or how many people we have helped. We must avoid the applause of man, the promotion of the flesh, and conformity to the world. And we must not take the credit for what God has blessed, chosen, and used us to do for others. Jesus warns us in haunting terms: "Assuredly I say to you, they have their reward." To me, this is one of the hardest statements of Jesus in the Gospels. He says that many religious people with moral convictions are doing good works that will bring no divine reward, because they are doing it to be seen by men. And if your goal is to be seen; once people see you, you got what you wanted. God doesn't owe anything! On the other hand, who cares if CNN doesn't report your good works, as long as God sees. So keep giving, serving, and helping. But make sure that service rendered to hurting people is actually done for God's glory. May the Lord help us to gain a great reward by doing kingdom business with godly motives, right priorities, and God-centered focus.