Give Cheerfully to God

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. – Galatians 9:6 (NIV)

God does not need our money. Neither does He desire our loose change. He owns cattle on a thousand hills. He has given us all things, even His own Son to die for us on the cross. He is the master Giver. All good things come from Him. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. God has instituted the giving of tithes and offerings to help us show our gratitude to Him and remind us of our continual dependence on Him. For without Him, we have nothing and can do nothing.

When we give our tithes, do not think that we have only 90% left of what we have earned. We should be thanking God that He has entrusted us with 90% of what does not really belong to us. We are merely His stewards. He has placed resources in our hands to accomplish His will for our lives and to support His Kingdom work. Give to Him with a cheerful heart, not grudgingly.

What does God say about this?

Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him.

Mark 12:17 (NIV)

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. 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 (NIV)

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

Acts 20:25 (NIV)

What does this mean for practical living?

It is natural and easy for us to think that we have worked hard to earn our keep. As such, we want to use our earnings to provide the best things for our family and ourselves. If we are a salaried worker, do we argue with God whether we should give a tenth of our gross salary or take-home pay? If we own a business, do we debate in our hearts whether we should give a tenth of our pre-tax or post-tax profits to God? These are wrong questions to engage in. Such thoughts hurt God and grieve the Holy Spirit.

What are the reasons that cause us to even think those thoughts? A man’s wants are never satisfied. The devil will have us always believe that we do not have enough yet, that we should give to God only out of our abundance, not pain or poverty. If we believe that God works all things for good in our lives according to His good timing and that every good thing comes from Him, should we not be thankful and offer the best and first fruits of what He has blessed us with? Stop reasoning and start giving. And perhaps not just tithes and offerings. How about tithing and offering our time to serve Him and His people? God loves a cheerful giver.

Reflect and respond to God’s Word

• What are you giving to God: your first fruits or your crumbs? Why?
• To enjoy God’s promised blessings, what adjustments do you need to make in your giving to God? You might need to consider your spending habits too.
• Determine to set aside an amount in your heart and give cheerfully to God.