October 27th, 2026
Good morning!
“That’s between me and God.”
Have you ever heard that line? How about said it? Over the years, I’ve heard that line more times than I can count. And I bet you can guess what the subject matter was that it was said about. That’s right… about giving.
I don’t know where that line originated from or the reason why it was first said, but if I had to guess, I would think it was some loose interpretation of Matthew 6:2, “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” (NIV). Fair enough. Jesus said not to flaunt in front of others what you have given to the needy. I can follow along with that being between you and God.
However, we have taken the line, “It’s between me and God,” as a defense mechanism to shield against anyone saying anything to us about giving at all.
“Preacher, you don’t need to be talking about me giving money to the church in the pulpit. That’s between me and God.” “Don’t be asking me if I’ve given lately. That’s between me and God.” “I’m not filling out a pledge card. That’s between me and God.”
We use that line to avoid any conviction about what, or if, we have given. If we don’t acknowledge it, we can’t feel convicted to do more. If we don’t talk about it, we can’t feel bad if we may not have given or did not give what the Lord was leading us to do.
And I know, giving our money is hard. There are bills to be paid. The children need new shoes… again! Inflation is ridiculous right now. Gas prices just keep rising. And the paycheck did not increase with the price of the items we need. So, we don’t want to feel bad if we didn’t tithe this month in order to cover our expenses. Yet, while giving is hard, it is necessary.
If we look back at Matthew 6:2, we should catch the beginning of the verse, “So WHEN YOU GIVE.” And then if we look at verse 3 it says, “But WHEN YOU GIVE.” The issue was not whether you gave or not. Jesus assumed you would be giving. “When you give” were instructions of how to handle that.
Then in Mark, he reminded us it isn’t the amount we give that matters. What matters is the condition of the heart.
Mark 12:41-44 tells us the story of the rich people and the poor widow giving to the temple treasury. You know the story. Jesus told those listening, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on” (vv. 43-44).
Our giving isn’t about the dollar amount we give. It’s about our willingness to give from the heart and our willingness to trust God when we give all we have. So, all those who say, “It’s between me and the Lord” are correct. It is a matter to be dealt with between us and God.
What is God telling you?
Blessings,
Pastor David
“That’s between me and God.”
Have you ever heard that line? How about said it? Over the years, I’ve heard that line more times than I can count. And I bet you can guess what the subject matter was that it was said about. That’s right… about giving.
I don’t know where that line originated from or the reason why it was first said, but if I had to guess, I would think it was some loose interpretation of Matthew 6:2, “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” (NIV). Fair enough. Jesus said not to flaunt in front of others what you have given to the needy. I can follow along with that being between you and God.
However, we have taken the line, “It’s between me and God,” as a defense mechanism to shield against anyone saying anything to us about giving at all.
“Preacher, you don’t need to be talking about me giving money to the church in the pulpit. That’s between me and God.” “Don’t be asking me if I’ve given lately. That’s between me and God.” “I’m not filling out a pledge card. That’s between me and God.”
We use that line to avoid any conviction about what, or if, we have given. If we don’t acknowledge it, we can’t feel convicted to do more. If we don’t talk about it, we can’t feel bad if we may not have given or did not give what the Lord was leading us to do.
And I know, giving our money is hard. There are bills to be paid. The children need new shoes… again! Inflation is ridiculous right now. Gas prices just keep rising. And the paycheck did not increase with the price of the items we need. So, we don’t want to feel bad if we didn’t tithe this month in order to cover our expenses. Yet, while giving is hard, it is necessary.
If we look back at Matthew 6:2, we should catch the beginning of the verse, “So WHEN YOU GIVE.” And then if we look at verse 3 it says, “But WHEN YOU GIVE.” The issue was not whether you gave or not. Jesus assumed you would be giving. “When you give” were instructions of how to handle that.
Then in Mark, he reminded us it isn’t the amount we give that matters. What matters is the condition of the heart.
Mark 12:41-44 tells us the story of the rich people and the poor widow giving to the temple treasury. You know the story. Jesus told those listening, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on” (vv. 43-44).
Our giving isn’t about the dollar amount we give. It’s about our willingness to give from the heart and our willingness to trust God when we give all we have. So, all those who say, “It’s between me and the Lord” are correct. It is a matter to be dealt with between us and God.
What is God telling you?
Blessings,
Pastor David
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