Signals

“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.” — Matthew 6:3–4 (NIV)

We have a friend who has trouble telling her left hand from her right. If you ask her for driving directions, she’ll confidently say, “Turn right.” But as soon as you put your blinker on, she’ll say, “No, no—left!” It’s endearing, makes us laugh, and it’s a running joke among ourselves.

In today’s verse, Jesus tells us that this left-right confusion is actually the right idea. When we give to someone in need, He invites us to disconnect that inner turn signal that’s always trying to sort things into left and right—seen and unseen, noticed and unnoticed, appreciated and unappreciated. Jesus invites us to turn that signal off.

When our left hand doesn’t know what our right hand is doing, it means our giving has slipped free from the need to be noticed. It becomes a simple act of love offered because someone has need and we have something to share.

That’s the kind of generosity God grows in us—quiet, sincere, shaped by compassion rather than recognition. A generosity that mirrors the heart of the One who sees in secret.

Father, thank you for all you have given. When we give, quiet the part of us that longs to be seen, noticed, or appreciated. Shape in us hearts of compassion and generosity, so our giving reflects your love more than our desire for recognition. We ask this in the name of your Son, our Savior and Teacher. Amen.

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Tim