Giving to God

In the body of Christ, we can give in different ways, including money (offerings, tithes, and thanksgiving), our time, our talents, etc. Giving does not come easily for many of us as Christians. And we often will need the grace of God upon us for us to be able to give willingly and cheerfully. As we know, the grace to excel at anything/everything is abundant for us, as seen in 2 Corinthians 9:8. Paul tells us that just as we have excelled at everything else, we should also excel at the grace of giving. Therefore, we have to pray to God for this grace to be available and work within us.

Paul, in 2 Corinthians 8, tells us that we should move from just having the eagerness and willingness to give and move further to completion by actually performing the act of giving. He then goes on to say that we should give “according to our means.” That lady in Mark 12 who gave small copper coins gave according to her means. And we see Jesus considering her giving worthy. Therefore, with the seemingly little money or time, etc. that we might have, those are our means, and we can give from that.

Growing up, I always wondered why people gave so much money in the offertory or tithe at church on Sundays. I was always eager to know what last Sunday’s collections were, and in my head, I made monthly estimates of what the church “earned” from us and “budgeted” for the church. I truly thought the church was ripping us off, even when nobody ever forced me to tithe or give an offering. But I thank God for his grace and knowledge for what I know now. Paul, in 2 Corinthians 8:13-14, reminds us that while some people go out to preach and bring the good news to us, it is our responsibility to serve them in different ways with our resources, like our money. Our plenty will supply their needs, and in turn, their plenty will supply our needs. We give money to run the activities of the church, pay the pastoral salaries, fund crusades and outreaches, etc., and these Christian leaders, in turn, give us food for our souls. They preach to us, give us a better understanding of the word, and instill good values in our communities. We both win.

When you read about the death of Jesus (John 19:38-42), they write about a rich man called Joseph of Arimathea and a highly educated man called Nicodemus. These men used their influence and resources to “rescue” the body of Jesus at the point when it was most vulnerable. God gives us resources to rescue his body, the church, in its point of dire need. Your beautiful voice is such that you minister during Sunday service to usher people into a great worship, through which someone or two might give their lives to Christ, and another person receives their healing. Sometimes, the Holy Spirit will inspire us to donate a few shillings to the next church project or use our connections to help the church acquire land to plant their next church campus. You are there for that very reason, and that might be the dire need in the moment. The church today needs rich people (in money, in time, in resources, in influence).  

In regards to giving alms, Proverbs 19:17 tells us that when we give to the poor, we are lending to God, and he will reward us for what we have done. Giving to the poor or to complete strangers is mostly going to be inspired by the love of God and not selfish gain. Galatians 5:6 tells us that in Christ Jesus, the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. Imagine loaning to God with the greatest interest rates that you can increase anytime, any day. Luke 6:38 says, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured out to you.” Christian giving comes with rewards. Even more evidence is in Mathew 6:1. This should not mean that we are giving with the primary goal to receive, no. And this also does not mean that when we give, we are “buying” a miracle. However, giving is the expression of faith in the promises of God and faith in his word. With love, our intentions for giving are pure, and with faith, we know that our Father in heaven is pleased with our actions and that every act done through his name counts.

Let’s pray for more grace to give. And when the conviction to give comes, let’s do it in faith through love and not because we want to fulfill a religious obligation.