How does one give alms "secretly"?

[BorderCowboy]

My advise would be to give/ donate to your church's outreach program. I don't give money out anymore, because it seems the number of cons or lazy millennials begging grows in number daily where I live. The other concern of mine is that money enables druggies/ boozers habits. Giving to an out reach program ensures they get what they need and not what they desire.

Just my two bits,  JJ

[missmuffet]

We give but should not boast or call attention to ourselves when we give to others. We are supposed to give anonymously. 

[Omegaman 3.0]

With a little effort. For example, I once applied for and got, a debit card for a student child. Since the money was prepaid, they where not worried about proving the I.D. of the child. So, I admit to a sort of deception I suppose, the name on the debit card, was Ann Onimus (a play on anonymous). That way I could use the card to donate to various charities, without revealing who I was.

My church has bins where donations of food and or clothing can be made. I enter the building during service so I can bring in food and clothing unseen, and deposit my gifts.

You can purchase money orders, and use them to make donations. Open a checking account, and they start you out with checks that do not have your name and address. You can scribbles something not legible, in the signature area, and they still cash just fine. Most churches have donation envelopes, and a place where you can deposit them without having to do so in the collection plate - but cash in those, and it is anonymous.

It just takes a little thought, there are lots of ways, but the main thing is really about your motive, you can certainly give without saying look at me, or hoping that someone notices what you are doing, that is the point of that part of scripture, where is your heart, what is your motivation.

The same thing goes for prayer, even here at Worthy. If you know of a prayer need, you can do that two ways. You can respond with "praying" or "just prayer", and be seen for how special and caring and holy you are, or you can say nothing, and pray without publicizing the fact.

Sometimes, it might be good to 'announce' the fact, that you are praying for something, it can be an encouragement. However, announcing it does not make the prayer work better, God responds to prayer, according to his will. Again I think it is about the heart. If you heart is looking for recognition, then do not make your prayers public, keep them between you and God. When someone asks you to pray with them, or for them, in a public setting, how to you do that? Do you just say "no" and let them think you don't care or don't pray? There is probably no need for that. Just mind the motives for which you do things, and you are fine.

[Willa]

1 hour ago, Omegaman 3.0 said:

With a little effort. For example, I once applied for and got, a debit card for a student child. Since the money was prepaid, they where not worried about proving the I.D. of the child. So, I admit to a sort of deception I suppose, the name on the debit card, was Ann Onimus (a play on anonymous). That way I could use the card to donate to various charities, without revealing who I was.

My church has bins where donations of food and or clothing can be made. I enter the building during service so I can bring in food and clothing unseen, and deposit my gifts.

You can purchase money orders, and use them to make donations. Open a checking account, and they start you out with checks that do not have your name and address. You can scribbles something not legible, in the signature area, and they still cash just fine. Most churches have donation envelopes, and a place where you can deposit them without having to do so in the collection plate - but cash in those, and it is anonymous.

It just takes a little thought, there are lots of ways, but the main thing is really about your motive, you can certainly give without saying look at me, or hoping that someone notices what you are doing, that is the point of that part of scripture, where is your heart, what is your motivation.

The same thing goes for prayer, even here at Worthy. If you know of a prayer need, you can do that two ways. You can respond with "praying" or "just prayer", and be seen for how special and caring and holy you are, or you can say nothing, and pray without publicizing the fact.

Sometimes, it might be good to 'announce' the fact, that you are praying for something, it can be an encouragement. However, announcing it does not make the prayer work better, God responds to prayer, according to his will. Again I think it is about the heart. If you heart is looking for recognition, then do not make your prayers public, keep them between you and God. When someone asks you to pray with them, or for them, in a public setting, how to you do that? Do you just say "no" and let them think you don't care or don't pray? There is probably no need for that. Just mind the motives for which you do things, and you are fine.

Thanks for all the good ideas.  When giving to people I know who are in need it is hard to think of ways to do it so they won't know who gave to them.  People often resent the person who gave to them if they can't pay them back.  They will turn against them.  This is why people try the cheat the government or think they are entitled.  It saves face or makes them feel they are in control.  It could also be why communism doesn't work and why so many communist men become alcoholics.  It causes people to loose their self respect if they don't receive the gift as from the Lord.  

[Prycejosh1987]

On 7/17/2019 at 4:43 PM, dr3032 said:

We're not supposed to do it openly, so as to receive the praise of men... So how does one do it?

The only thing I can think of is like, picking a person's lock when they're not home and leaving the donation somewhere they'd see it, or maybe being a reverse pickpocket. If money is inadvisable because the person could be an addict of some sort, how does one give food or clothing secretly? Does a guy wear a mask when he does it, or even at least some groucho glasses or something?

I get that a guy shouldn't call attention to it like shouting, "HEY LOOK AT THIS MONEY I'M GOING TO GIVE THIS HOMELESS PERSON" or calling the news about it. I just don't get how to do it without being known.

It means don't do things to get men's approval and congratulations, it is just as you said. You should do things for people without telling others, that is the context of the meaning.