The Secret to Real Giving
"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." – Matthew 6:3-4
Jesus did not suggest that generosity is optional. He expected it. What He corrected was not the action itself, but the heart behind it. He called His followers to a higher standard, one that refuses to make generosity about attention, approval, or applause.
That is why He told us to give in secret. Not so we hide good things, but so we honor the right One. When you give to someone in need, and no one sees it but God, that is where your heart is tested and your motives are purified. Jesus said this is the kind of giving that brings reward from your Father in heaven.
It is a hard question to ask, but a necessary one: Would you still give that gift if no one ever knew it came from you?
The truth is, it is far easier to give someone else’s money than our own. When it is not coming out of our pocket, we give freely. But when it is ours, the grip tightens. That is where many of us struggle. We forget whose money it really is.
I learned this the hard way in my early marriage. There were times when I had nothing in savings, and debt was piling up. But the biggest issue was not the amount I had. It was that I believed it was all mine. That mindset kept me from giving, because I saw my paycheck as my possession.
It took time and the work of the Holy Spirit to realize that everything I have belongs to God. My bank account. My income. My resources. All of it is His. I am just a steward, and the way I handle what He has given says everything about who I believe it belongs to.
When you know it is His, it becomes easier to hold it loosely. And when you give from that place, the reward is not applause from others, it is intimacy with the Father who sees what is done in secret. So give quietly. Give faithfully. And give like it is His, because it is.
Jesus did not suggest that generosity is optional. He expected it. What He corrected was not the action itself, but the heart behind it. He called His followers to a higher standard, one that refuses to make generosity about attention, approval, or applause.
That is why He told us to give in secret. Not so we hide good things, but so we honor the right One. When you give to someone in need, and no one sees it but God, that is where your heart is tested and your motives are purified. Jesus said this is the kind of giving that brings reward from your Father in heaven.
It is a hard question to ask, but a necessary one: Would you still give that gift if no one ever knew it came from you?
The truth is, it is far easier to give someone else’s money than our own. When it is not coming out of our pocket, we give freely. But when it is ours, the grip tightens. That is where many of us struggle. We forget whose money it really is.
I learned this the hard way in my early marriage. There were times when I had nothing in savings, and debt was piling up. But the biggest issue was not the amount I had. It was that I believed it was all mine. That mindset kept me from giving, because I saw my paycheck as my possession.
It took time and the work of the Holy Spirit to realize that everything I have belongs to God. My bank account. My income. My resources. All of it is His. I am just a steward, and the way I handle what He has given says everything about who I believe it belongs to.
When you know it is His, it becomes easier to hold it loosely. And when you give from that place, the reward is not applause from others, it is intimacy with the Father who sees what is done in secret. So give quietly. Give faithfully. And give like it is His, because it is.
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2 Comments
Absolutely true. Thank you for this reminder.
Thank God for the message I really needed to be reminded