Isn’t that also an issue of selflessness: the family is so concerned about their self-image, about how they appear to the world, that they are not willing to own up to their situation: the reality that they are struggling financially. I know this will sounds too strong, but there is a word for that: delusion. The active denial of the reality of the situation, all to “save face”. So, even on that level, there is still this difficult balance needed (i.e. without becoming needy and attention grabbing) to have genuine selflessness, even on the receiving side.

Our ward is really looking for ways to give meaningful service where the participants can actually see the benefit their service provides. It’s harder to learn to give when what’s given just seems to disappear.

On the other hand, we have several families really struggling because of the economy who could use a little service and charity right now.

Perfect match, right? Wrong. The struggling families are new to the experience, and don’t want to be publicly seen as needing charity. Consequently, they’ve received quiet anonymous assistance from some very Christian members (as well as directly from the church).

The problem is, the people most needing the experience to give (eg., the youth) completely miss out on it, and the connections of mutual love and appreciation that come from serving each other are missed.

Part of me cries out that if we as a Christian people can’t somehow breach this gap, then what good are we?

Rick, the recipient benefits the same whether the giver is trying to glorify God or make his girlfriend think he’s a generous chap.
My point is to question how strongly we focus the moral analysis on the motives of the giver rather than the relief provided the recipient.

By mid December we were close buddies, and he reported that his mother told him they couldn’t afford a Christmas tree that year. My mother caught wind of this, and (since we always went out to a leased ranch property to cut our own tree for free) determined to provide the new family with a Christmas tree.

When we delivered the tree, we did so anonymously. They had no idea where that tree came from. The family was very grateful, but they couldn’t thank us….they didn’t know our identity. But they did thank someone.

On their knees that evening in family prayer.

That is the focus of the scripture, which reads:

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

It is the good works that we must shine a light on, not on the worker. When that focus is maintained, the receiver’s sincerely felt thanks and praise and (on rare occasions of dire need) even effusive devotion will be voiced toward the only really worthy recipient of those expressions of gratitude.

The passage of not letting the right hand know what the left hand is doing, in my opinion, goes to not seeking credit for the good we do.

The passage about letting the light shine does not contradict that. It suggests that people should see the good we do to”glorify God,” not to give us credit. Thus, we can let our anonymous good works be seen, which allow people to give credit to God.