Would you rather praise God or be praised by others?

Let’s be honest. Getting a pat on the back feels good. I’m not knocking that.

But we shouldn’t be so obsessed by the praise and approval of others that it eclipses the priority of putting God first.

So here’s something you and I can do in the financial realm which trains us and reminds us to keep it all about him:

When opportunities present themselves, give generously anonymously.

Maybe an opportunity presents itself to buy a meal for someone. Or maybe you get a chance to provide some much-needed financial assistance to a family who’s going through a rough patch. Realistically speaking, sometimes it’s hard to be anonymous. But what if, in the right situation, you were able to be anonymous in the help you gave.

The reason this can help our discipleship is because, even when we’re generous with others, we can make it about us. We can either make a show of our generosity, or, if we’re not careful, we can do it for the praise we receive—instead of doing it to for God.

In 1 Corinthians 7:1 Paul reflects on the comforting assurance that God is with us. Because of that we should “purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit…”

I think that includes purifying ourselves from selfish motives. After all, if we have the assurance that God is with us, what else do we need?

Let’s focus more on praising God than the praise of others. When opportunities present themselves, give generously anonymously.

By Matthew Ruttan