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Consider your commitment to give to God.
By Terry Masango, Captain –
Have you considered your commitment to giving lately?
“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” – Luke 6:38
Why people don’t give:
Illiteracy. No one ever taught them about giving to God. Most of us grew up hearing our parents telling us to take money to church for offering. My mother used to tie a 10 cent coin in a handkerchief for safe keeping. I was to open the handkerchief during the tithes and offering time at Sunday school. Unfortunately, some of the children, and adults, in church today have never had anyone teach them to give.
Anger. Some people stop giving at church because they disagreed with the pastor or another congregation member. They say, “If they are going to treat me like that, I will never give them my money.” We do not give to people. When we give at church, we are giving to God. Do not let them stop you from giving to God. Your relationship with God matters more. Do not let them steal your blessings.
Financial Decisions. Some people do not give to the church because they do not know, or they disagree with the church’s financial decisions. Some suspect the funds are being misused, while others think the funds should be used a certain way. The Salvation Army is one of the oldest, most trusted charities in the world. It is known for its fiscal responsibility, and conservative spending. There are checks and balances set in motion to curtail irresponsible or questionable spending.
No money. Some people do not give because they are unemployed. Students, seniors living on social security, single parents struggling to make ends meet, workers struggling in a harsh economic climate all struggle to give. They say, “I do not have money to give. I will give when I get more money to spare.” The best time to give is now. It is best to give when you have little. It gets increasingly difficult to give when you have more.
Insignificant. Some people do not give because they think their little money won’t make a difference. It matters that you give to God, not how much you give. Your obedience is more important than the amount of money you give. God can use and bless a little money or a lot of it. Do not wait to give on the day you will have more money. You might never have more.
Others. Some people do not give because they think someone else will do it. It is as if there are people God chose to give, and others who just ride the wave. God is counting on you to give. Your pastor is counting on you to carry your weight. The someone you are waiting for to give is you.
Serving. Some people support their church through volunteering their time. They serve as leaders. They serve in many capacities. They think their giving of time serves as tithing. Serving and working for the church does not count as tithe. You still need to give financially.
Why should we give?
“Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” – Malachi 3:10
God expects you to give. In Malachi 3:10, God says, “bring the whole tithe into the storehouse.” The storehouse refers to the place where you worship. Give to God through your home church, the place where you are spiritually fed.
We imitate God in giving. We are most like our Father when we give. God gave us all we have—He gave us the earth, blessings, Jesus, grace. He is a giving God.
Giving is a sign of spiritual growth. God tells us in Luke 16:11, “if therefore you have not been faithful in the use of money, how can you expect Him to entrust greater riches to you?” We have been blessed by God. Recognizing God’s blessings prompts us to reciprocate through giving back to him. All we have belongs to God. God provides our needs.
Giving shows you trust God. When you give, you are trusting God to provide and take care of you. You give because he first gave to you.
Giving is an investment for eternity. In Matthew 6:19, Jesus told us to “store up treasure in heaven.” When you give your tithes and offerings to the Lord’s work, you are investing your money in souls for the kingdom, and helping to get people to heaven.
When you give, God will bless you. In Galatians 6:7, God says, “do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows that he will also reap.” God is watching, and whatever you give to him, he will give back to you. Giving unlocks heaven’s gates on your behalf. You cannot out-give God. The more you give to him, the more he’ll give back to you.
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