Is it Wrong to Talk About Your Generosity?
Isn’t it wrong to talk about your generosity? Isn’t giving a private matter?
You may have heard statements like these for many years. You may have asked similar questions.
Where does this come from?
This line of thinking is often rooted in one’s interpretation of Matthew 6:1-4.
It says, “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. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you."
It’s the last part that leads some people to think that giving is not something we should discuss or address. But before you come to the same conclusion, allow me to point out a few things.
In this passage, Jesus is addressing the issue of religious hypocrisy. Some people were turning their giving into a spectacle, making a big to-do about their generosity. They made sure everyone knew when they were giving. Jesus makes the same point about their prayer and fasting.
The key to understanding this passage is their motivation: “to be admired by others.”
These religious grandstanders prayed, fasted, and gave in a manner that drew attention and praise to themselves. Their actions were not about their love for God but their love for themselves. In their hearts, they were seeking earthly rewards. They wanted others to be in awe of them.
When it says in Matthew 6:6, “When you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private,” it doesn’t mean we should not talk about, ask about, or encourage prayer. Your pastor isn’t sinning when he publicly prays during a church service. We aren’t sinning when we pray over a meal. And we’re not wrong for asking other believers about their prayer life.
Similarly, Jesus isn’t saying that generosity is an off-limits topic of conversation. He is challenging his listeners to consider their motivations and heart, not declaring conversations about generosity to be taboo.
Jesus regularly talked about and encouraged generosity. Paul regularly talked about and encouraged generosity. The New Testament church knew who gave.
The Bible is clear: We can and should feel comfortable talking about, asking about, and encouraging generosity. But not to pour on guilt or be legalistic. Just as God doesn’t want generosity motivated by self-glorification, he doesn’t want generosity motivated by guilt or legalism.
We talk about and encourage generosity because we don’t want others to miss out on what God has in store them when they give.
Here are some questions to consider:
When you give, what motivates you most: love for God and others, or a desire for recognition?
How does understanding Jesus’ warning against hypocrisy in Matthew 6:1–4 shape the way you think about generosity?
In what ways have you seen open conversations about giving encourage or challenge your own generosity?
Do you tend to view generosity as a private practice only, or as something that can also be shared to inspire and strengthen others in their faith?
How can we talk about generosity in ways that build up the church without slipping into guilt, pride, or legalism?
What do you think God “has in store” for you when you practice generosity with the right heart?
