“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.” – Matthew 6:1–4, NIV

The English idiom ‘blow one’s own trumpet’ has its origin from the above passage.

It means publicly drawing attention to oneself in a boastful manner so as win praise from people.

It is a normal practice in the business world where companies ‘blow their own trumpet’ over their charitable activities.

They call it ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ (CSR) – ‘giving back to the community’ – and then hiring communication and public relations experts to ensure that the whole world gets to know about it through the mass media.

They think that CSR helps to build brand loyalty and public trust; that a company that ‘gives back’ can enhance its public reputation and hence its competitive advantage in the market.

However, our Lord Jesus teaches us today that His followers should not perform their pious activities ‘in front of cameras’ in a selfish attempt to get recognition from people; instead, they should give, pray or fast “in secret.”

By prescribing secretive actions, our Lord is addressing the motive of the giver.

He first criticized the “hypocrites” – the Pharisees – who performed acts of righteousness, such as giving alms, praying, and fasting, before the public gallery and with fanfare so as to “to be honoured/praised by men.”

In some Churches, people are required to stand up and pledge or to indicate their name and how much offertory or tithe they have given.

“But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”

The top givers and tithers are publicly celebrated as ‘loyal’ and are honoured in a special way, which naturally feels good, of course.

However, many believers also insist that they should remain anonymous and get offended when their identity is disclosed publicly.

When giving is done in secret, the motivation is pure— genuine love for God and a desire to help those in need, rather than getting personal validation or recognition or honour from people.

According to Jesus, what is given in secret becomes a true offering to God, who “sees what is done in secret” and will reward them with His own blessing, which is eternal and perpetual.

In essence, giving without the cameras shifts the focus from “me and what I can get from the public” (applause, praise, status) to “God and what He can do through me for His own glory.”

The phrase “do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” is a hyperbolic expression emphasizing the need for extreme secrecy – generosity without any desire for being celebrated.

There’s a Bible verse that says; “But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” (Jeremiah 17:10, Living Bible)

Those seeking public recognition and honour by advertising their generosity on social media “have received their reward in full” according to the Lord.

Godly generosity flows naturally from genuine love, compassion and faith, without seeking fleeting human praise or recognition.

Our focus should be on the lasting positive impact of our giving on others and the Kingdom of God, rather than momentary ‘rewards’ that come from mere human approval and applause.