That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly – Matthew 6:4
He only needed one more, the teenager thought as he walked a path lined with homes. However, his pace quickened at the sight of a woman working in her yard. “I’m willing to trim your hedge for free,” he rapidly announced. The woman, though initially reluctant, relented. Nearly thirty minutes later, she was thoroughly pleased. Before leaving, the teenager requested her signature to confirm the work performed, as it was needed to verify eight hours of community service to have his privileges reinstated.
“Was the service performed by the teenager entirely free, or were their strings attached?” The answer can be traced to Luke 6:35 with emphasis on: “do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again.” The reference to “lend” doesn’t have to be money; it can consist of time and service. Yet, no matter how well-intended, the lines can become blurred, and it can be hard to distinguish between motives: pure or self-serving.
Recognizing the difference between reaping benefits from showing kindness and striving to gain benefits from acts of kindness helps evaluate one’s heart. However, trusting God’s promise to reward selfless behavior makes it easier to perform acts of kindness with no strings attached.