“But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (rf. Php. 4:18–19 NAS)
For many professed Christians, they see giving to their local church as a drudgery, a necessary duty. They neglect the teaching of Scripture on the subject of money to their spiritual detriment. In so doing, they forfeit many blessings that come when we give in a worshipful way to the Lord and His work. They fail to recognize that God is the owner of all things and we are merely stewards who are responsible for allotting and spending according to His directives and not our own. The Scriptures tell us from the Psalms:
“For every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, and everything that moves in the field is Mine” (rf. Ps. 50:10–11 NAS).
This is God’s way of saying I own it all and know it all because I created it all. Understanding this basic principle is foundational to our giving in a Biblical fashion.
Secondly, our giving is viewed by God as a “sacrifice” and should be given with a “cheerful" heart (rf. II Cor. 9:7). Our giving should be reflective of our recognition that He wants more than a pittance from us in worship. Our gifts show our understanding that He is using His people to support His kingdom and its goals.
Thirdly, God Himself established the tithe as the baseline of giving in worship. In other words, our giving to Him should begin at 10% of what He has blessed us with each month (specifically, our net income). On this basis He promises to bless His people when they give according to His directives:
“‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows’” (rf. Malachi 3:10 NAS).
As He states clearly, when we give as He desires, He will bless us overwhelmingly because we are worshipping Him through our finances. When we are stingy in our gifts or we withhold our giving or purposefully designate our tithes, we will not be blessed by God because our hearts are not in line with His goals. There is a direct connection between our heart and the way and amount we give. A hard, cold heart purposefully gives little or nothing. A transformed heart will be abundant, generous and sacrificial in its contributions because that person appreciates the blessings of God and worships Him through giving (Remember the widow and her mite—rf. Mark 12:42-44).
How would God characterize your giving to Him? How would He view your heart? If you wish to change your giving, seek Him to change your heart and the gifts and blessings will surely follow.
