Giving Your Best

Never sacrifice sick or defective cattle, sheep, or goats to the LORD your God, for he detests such gifts.

Deuteronomy 17:1

FOR MANY OF US, giving involves writing a check to our church or to a ministry that we support rather than giving a sheep or an ox to our local clergyman. As long as the check clears, we might consider that there’s nothing “sick or defective” in our offering, right?

Not necessarily. Just because we don’t approach God through the Old Testament system of animal sacrifices doesn’t mean that the checks we write today are always pleasing to Him. As with everything else in the Christian life, obedience in giving is a matter of the heart. When we see that everything we have comes from God, including our ability to work and earn income, we become grateful, and grateful people are generous.

There are many Scriptures that prompt us to examine our hearts in giving, but Deuteronomy 17:1 focuses on the quality of what we give. Like the Israelites of Moses’ time, we often tend to serve ourselves first and give only the leftovers to God. Or perhaps we give to God first, but only an amount that leaves us with enough to satisfy ourselves. In either case, we disguise self-serving motivations as obedience. What God wants from us instead is a gift that honors Him as the provider of all we have and that demonstrates our trust for all we will need for tomorrow. When we learn to trust at that level, the grip on our paychecks will loosen, and our giving will look more like an act of worship and thanksgiving, as it should be.

BOTTOM LINE

Our giving is a reflection of our faith. Are you in the habit of giving prayerfully and generously?

Moment of Strength: Matthew 6:28-33