Matthew 5:16

THE OUTWARD LIFE OF A STEWARD
Giving

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Part 1

In Matthew 5:16 Jesus says, In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (ESV). Here, Jesus is telling us that our giving should be seen by others – letting the light of our kindness and generosity shine forth. He also tells us why – so that it will be seen by others, bringing “glory to our Father who is in heaven.” We never want to do our giving so we will be praised for it. We should do it so God will be praised for it. And to ensure that God is the only one who gets the praise, we must be vigilant to deflect any misdirected praise or glory toward us on to the one who is the real giver of all gifts. Give, so God will be praised. Think about it.

Part 2

Jesus cuts to the heart of the matter in Matthew 5:16 when He teaches us about giving and why we should be anxious for others to know about it. He says, In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (ESV). Jesus is making two powerful points here. One, we should let others know about our generous giving so they can see the heart of a loving and generous God being lived out in us. Two, we should do our giving in such a way that the beneficiaries of our giving are compelled to praise our Father who is in Heaven for the kind and generous expression of His love for them. Think about it.