Your Sacrifice Does Not Go Unnoticed
Your Father… will reward you. Mt 6:4
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Matthew 6:1-4 (NIV)
1 "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
1 "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
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One day, a couple came to visit me in my office. Christian Horizons was just in
its infancy. The husband and wife were very ordinary in their appearance and yet
what they came to suggest was extraordinary. This couple wanted to set out a plan
to make their home and a significant acreage available to Christian Horizons, so
that adults with developmental challenges could be supported in a quiet country
residential setting that could also provide work or hobby opportunities
through gardening and possibly small animal husbandry.
its infancy. The husband and wife were very ordinary in their appearance and yet
what they came to suggest was extraordinary. This couple wanted to set out a plan
to make their home and a significant acreage available to Christian Horizons, so
that adults with developmental challenges could be supported in a quiet country
residential setting that could also provide work or hobby opportunities
through gardening and possibly small animal husbandry.
As we discussed their plan over the next months, they reviewed their options and
finally set upon a course of action that would see the home sold for a price that was
suitable to them and that Christian Horizons could pay off, interest free, over five
years. Several men and one woman came to live in this home with the support
of a young lady and some relief staff. Christian Horizons now serves over
100 individuals due to this initiative in a region that we had,
up to this time, been unable to reach.
Today, the surviving member of this dear couple senses a hurt. The wife, now
widowed, gave generously from a pure heart, so that a ministry could be provided
through her home. Now she does not own a home and her children will not inherit a
property. Christian Horizons eventually sold the property to purchase other homes
in the neighbouring communities to better meet the needs of the dear people we
serve. As these men and women aged, their interests and needs changed.
I am sure that she wonders if her gift was appreciated now that the
home is sold and everyone has apparently moved on.
Many people throughout history have been motivated at some point in their lives to
give sacrificially to a cause they valued, only to find that years later their
generosity seems to have been misplaced. But I wonder… has it?
Consider the family that gives sacrificially to establish a church in a community
only to find years later that others now ‘control’ the church, and the interests of this
family are no longer regarded. Maybe your circumstances are such that several
years of life have been volunteered to a Christian ministry, possibly serving with
great hardship in a developing land. You have returned home and started to get on
with life, but are now years behind your friends who stayed and began their careers
while you went overseas. Many will be looking back at an investment made into the
lives of the toddlers at the church or hauling young people around to one activity
after another. It seems that no one knows and no one cares!
with life, but are now years behind your friends who stayed and began their careers
while you went overseas. Many will be looking back at an investment made into the
lives of the toddlers at the church or hauling young people around to one activity
after another. It seems that no one knows and no one cares!
You and I need to be reminded again that we did not give to the mission, the church
or the families. Our gift was presented to Jesus and Jesus says your Father does
know, and it is He who appreciates your openhanded gift. If thanks is received here
on earth, our reading indicates that there seems to be little need for recognition in
eternity. But those who give in secret, those who are overlooked by others, they
have a special reward. Your sacrifice has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated.
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Heavenly Father, sometimes I feel I have been used. My gifts are no longer
appreciated. Often when I feel this way, it seems no one cares about me anymore
and everyone else benefits from my sacrifice — everyone except me! Help me to
understand what I need to understand. At the moment I am hurt, and it seems like
I have been used by people who are ungrateful after they have extracted
all they could from me. Amen.
appreciated. Often when I feel this way, it seems no one cares about me anymore
and everyone else benefits from my sacrifice — everyone except me! Help me to
understand what I need to understand. At the moment I am hurt, and it seems like
I have been used by people who are ungrateful after they have extracted
all they could from me. Amen.
- Noel Churchman
Noel was the Executive Director of Christian Horizons form 1976 to 2001. The devotionals we will be using are from a book he wrote in 2005 called “Walking with God”. Noel’s reflections are grounded in his experiences as an educator, and provider of supports for individuals with exceptional needs as well as his life as a dedicated follower of Christ.
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