Image taken from Van Allsblog
Mathew 6 1-4 NIV
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 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 others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Granted, I think Jesus was trying to teach that when we give, we should do so quietly and not draw attention to it. I think this is great advice every prepper should heed. There are two points that I take away from those verses that I think relate to preparedness; “being gray” and “pat on the back”.
Being Gray
I have covered “being gray” in previous articles, so I’ll just touch on it now. Being gray or maintaining OP-SEC (operational Security) is part keeping a low profile, part not letting others know what you have and part doing what is expected of you, so as not to raise undo attention.
Many people feel a need to share their preparations with those less fortunate. That is their right. I will side with the King and say “do so in private”, but probably for different reasons than He gave. If you share either openly, not hiding it from anyone, or openly with the people you choose to assist, too many people know that you have preparations to share.
One thought I have is to share secretly, leaving care packages late at night on the doorsteps of people who are in need. This way they get some assistance and OP-SEC is maintained.
Pat on the Back
Many of us like to do good things for others. Let’s face it, being able to help someone in need and receiving their thanks feels good. At Christmas time, I always make sure to have change on me so I can put some in every Salvation Army kettle I pass by. I do this for a few reasons; one is that I know this is the time of year they make most of their operating money and I also do it so the bell ringer feels like their time is well spent. If I’m truly honest, I also do it because it feels good to have the bell ringer acknowledge my putting something in the kettle, though I still donate if they’re on a break.
My point is that if you feel like you must give publicly to others “when it hits the fan”, do some soul searching and find out why you’re giving. Is it out of Christian obligation? Is it just easier to give face to face? Is it because seeing the joy on their face makes you feel good?
We can eliminate any potential sin issues and keep our OP-SEC by giving privately. Our Father who sees what is done in secret will reward us.
If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!
