Three Levels of Giving

One commandment people often fail to obey or adhere to is the commandment to give. What I mean here includes things as offerings, charitable gifts, giving to ministry, etc. I find it odd that we are not more apt to give to those who are genuinely poor seeing that Psalm 41:1 tells us that Yahweh will deliver from trouble the man who gives to the poor. This passage along with several others (Proverbs 19:17; 22:9; 28:27; Deuteronomy 15:7-11; Luke 6:38) teach us it is a noble thing to give to those who are truly in need.

I would like to focus on what I call the three levels of giving. I do not claim that these are the three "sole" levels or that nothing else can be added to my idea, but as I see it there are truly three basic levels of giving. 

LEVEL #1: You and everyone else knows of your giving. 

This level finds all sorts of people involved in it. Many in Hollywood come to mind, when they give a large sum of money to a specific charity and it is all over the news that they have such a genuine heart. While this level does include an actual giving, the level is poor compared to the other two in that the motive of the giver is not one which is giving to please Yahweh, but giving so that others will praise him and he will be held in high esteem in the eyes of man. 

LEVEL #2: You and the receiver of the gift know. 

Sometimes this level is difficult to bypass. You see someone in need and you give to them and it remains a secret between you and the receiver. This level is surely above level one, but this level can still at times be implemented by a person who just has to have somebody know of his charitable gift. I am not "brow beating" the person who gives in this way, only pointing out that it is still not the highest level that exists. 

LEVEL #3: Only You know. 

As I can see it this is truly the highest level of giving. You give in such a way that only you know at the time of the giving, and only you remain to know for you really do want to keep it in secret. You desire no praise from man or anyone else, but are satisfied in the fact that Yahweh knows what you have done, and He is pleased with your act that consists of a pure, selfless motive. 

Yeshua the Messiah taught about what we have just discussed in the following passage: 

"Take care! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired, because then you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give a gift to someone in need, don’t shout about it as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I assure you, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone, don’t tell your left hand what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in secret, and your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you." [Matthew 6:1-4 NLT] 

Matthew Janzen