May You Be Forgotten

Give but do not seek to be remembered

“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". (Matthew 5:1 N.I.V)

Consider the following story:

“At the Sceta monastery, the abbot Lucas gathered the monks for the sermon.
"May you never be remembered," he said.
"What do you mean?" replied one of the brothers, "May our example not help those who might need it?"
"In the days when everything was just, no one paid attention to exemplary people," answered the abbot. "Everyone gave their best, without pretensions, and so fulfilled their duty to their fellow men. They loved their neighbor because they understood that this was part of life, and they thought nothing of respecting a law of nature. They shared their possessions in order not to accumulate more than they could carry, since journeys last a lifetime. They lived together in freedom, giving and receiving, without demanding or blaming anything on others.
That is why their deeds were not handed down, and there is no story known about them."

When you die, how do you think people will remember you? What would you like to be remembered for? Imagine that you anonymously gave a complete stranger the gift of joy and happiness. What would that feel like? Do you do things for others so that you will be remembered? You may get a fleeting legacy here on earth but fail to make any impression on He who gives eternal life and a lasting legacy.
In Matthew 5:1-4 it is written, “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”.

“There are those who give little of the much which they have - and they give it for recognition and their hidden desire makes their gifts unwholesome.”Khalil Gibran

“Let the lips of the poor be the trumpet of thy gift, lest in seeking applause, thou lose thy reward”.  Francis Quarles