The Daily Devotional
Saturday, December 6, 2025
Hidden Kindness: The Way of Quiet Giving
“But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” — Matthew 6:3–4
Introduction
In the Christian year, December 6 marks the Feast of St. Nicholas of Myra, a 4th-century bishop remembered not for grand speeches or heroic miracles, but for his quiet, sacrificial generosity. Advent invites us to prepare our hearts for Christ’s coming—and St. Nicholas offers a living example of what that preparation looks like: mercy done in secret, compassion without recognition, and love expressed through humble acts of care.
Reflection
Jesus’ teaching about giving “in secret” can feel countercultural in a world that values visibility, credit, and acknowledgment. Yet this hidden generosity is at the heart of St. Nicholas’s story. One of the earliest accounts tells of Nicholas secretly providing dowries for three impoverished sisters by leaving bags of gold through their window—gifts delivered under the cover of night so the family would never feel shame.
You can see echoes of this today in everyday places. Consider a person at a grocery store quietly slipping a few dollars to help someone short at the register, or the stranger who anonymously buys a cup of coffee for the next person in line. No applause. No attention. Just a quiet, compassionate gesture that changes someone’s day.
This simplicity mirrors the spirit of Advent: small lights in the darkness pointing toward the greater Light who is coming. St. Nicholas reminds us that kindness doesn’t have to be dramatic—just faithful. In these moments of hidden goodness, the generosity of Christ becomes visible.
Application
Today, practice one act of quiet generosity—something no one else will know about but God. Slip a small gift into someone’s need, forgive a debt, help without drawing attention, or leave encouragement where it can bless anonymously. Let your giving become a prayer: “Lord, make me an instrument of Your hidden mercy.”
Conclusion
On this Feast of St. Nicholas, Advent invites us to embody the gentle generosity of Christ. We prepare our hearts not by grand gestures, but by the quiet choices that shape our character—choices that echo the humility of the One who came in a manger and still comes into the ordinary corners of our daily lives.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, in this Advent season, teach me the beauty of giving unseen. Shape my heart after Your humble generosity, and guide me to bless others without seeking reward or recognition. As St. Nicholas once reflected Your compassion through quiet acts of mercy, help me to do the same today. Let every hidden gift become a small candle of Your love shining in the darkness. Amen.
Devotional by: Kenny Sallee, ThM — Deming, NM, USA
The Bible texts are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible (NRSV)© 1989, 1993, the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment