CHILDREN OF THE HEAVENLY FATHER

Lesson Seven

DO NOT SOUND A TRUMPET BEFORE YOU

Burden to Impart:

We should not call attention to ourselves when we do good deeds. We should do them in secret to please our heavenly Father, not in public to glorify ourselves.

Facts to Teach:

1. As children of the heavenly Father we will often be led to do some deeds of righteousness. Because our Father is compassionate toward others, we will also feel the desire to help others and do good toward them. One way we may help others and show kindness is by giving them a gift when they are in need. Another way might be by praying for them.
2. Our Father is in "secret." This is His nature. He is a God who hides Himself (Isa. 45:15). Although He watches over us so carefully and supplies all of our needs, we are almost unaware of Him, for He does it all secretly. He wants us to do our deeds of righteousness, love, and kindness in the same way, in secret. In this way the person who does the deed will not be glorified, but the One who led them to do it and supplied them to do it, the heavenly Father.
3. During Jesus' time some people would give alms to the poor, not because they cared for the poor but because they wanted everyone to see their good deeds and glorify them, perhaps saying, "My! What a godly man! How generous he is! How kind he is! He is truly wonderful!" In order to be sure that their deed would be noticed, they would have someone "sound the trumpet" just before they put some money into the beggar's cup. When all turned around to see why the trumpet sounded they would then give their gift. This was all just a show and they were like stage actors, the hypocrites. They only did their good deeds to glorify themselves, not God.
4. As the children of the heavenly Father, our desire is to glorify Him and express Him. In this way others will believe in Him, love Him, and follow Him also. However, we often find another kind of desire rises up whenever we are going to do some righteous deed, the desire to "show off" and glorify ourselves. Instead of doing the deed in secret so that the thanks and praise will go to God, we might purposely let it be known that we did it. Then we get the credit, the thanks, and the glory. This is just a vainglory, the glorifying of our flesh. Whatever we do in the way of glorifying ourselves will not be rewarded by God. But all those deeds of righteousness that we have done in secret will one day be rewarded by our heavenly Father who sees in secret; even giving a glass of cold water to a disciple (Matt. 10:42).