NT Guidelines: Give Quietly

Beware of practising your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. - Matthew 6:1

The illustrations that follow include prayer and fasting, but begin with giving.

 So that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. - Matthew 6:4

Sometimes our acts of righteousness will be seen by people and even should be, such as our acts of love. Earlier in the same sermon where He says we're not to give in order to be seen by people, Christ commands us --

 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:16

Jesus tells us to pray in secret, and God will reward us for that.  Yet gathering for group prayer is certainly important.  God wants us to pray secretly sometimes but not others.

If leaders know how much people give, they'll be tempted to show preference to big givers and neglect those who give less and its this very trap we are warned against --

  My brothers and sisters,^[a] do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ?^{[b] 2} For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, ³ and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit at my feet,”^{[c] 4} have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? ⁵ Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters.^[d] Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? - James 2:1-5

It also puts leaders in a position to judge others with incomplete knowledge.

For misrepresenting their giving, God struck Ananias and Sapphira dead - keep in mind that they were generous donors.

There is encouragement in those who follow Jesus seeing God at work in the giving of others who follow Jesus.  I have been encouraged and stimulated to give as I've heard the giving of others.