Do we give out of our increase or do we give despite the increase? Let’s dig further. Do we give out of where we are comfortable, where we know it will not impact us, it will not even be an after thought? That is where most of us give from. Think honestly through your moments of giving. When was the last time we gave to a point where we would need to sacrifice something for that day, week, or month? When you did, I bet you didn’t forget any detail of it. Imagine how that person felt…even if they were ungrateful, who cares, who were you giving for? Imagine how the Father felt about it, how He still feels about it. We shouldn’t be giving out of our abundance only, but also when it truly causes a thought of God’s provision to give to whomever, or wherever you did, to give for the Glory of the Father, not self. We have to be careful we are not giving for self-praise, self-advancement, for self-gratification, for other’s praise. We have to pay attention to the reason and way we are giving, that we are doing it beyond ourselves, first and foremost for the Father and then for the person or people or entity.
We have to look further into our spiritual giving as well. Are we giving when we feel great? When we are in a good place emotionally, mentally, and physically? When we have a full tank of gas, full pantry, full fridge, full cabinets? So, this would indicate giving out of our increase. But what happens when we feel like we have nothing to give? When we are struggling, when we don’t seem to find the words, the thoughts, the desire? When we gave in these moments, did we recognize that in giving in those times it gave life, gave hope, gave encouragement? Oh, those moments are amazing! Not giving from ourselves, but for the Father, whatever it is we have, even if it is two mites.
We could decide that since we don’t have anything to give, we need to sit back and receive, maybe even with the intent of giving later? But then we have to recognize that maybe we lost our way back to the giving part. How about this one, since we pay our tithes, the leadership must serve us, therefore we have given all we are going to give? Let’s think about that for a moment. Especially those of Ready 2 Serve, are we really ready to serve? Or think about the mentality of receiving since we gave, we gave with an attachment or demand of return in a means that was not determined by the leading of the Father, but instead our own stipulation on the giving in the first place…was that freely given or selfishly? Oh, let’s think about this, if we have determined that the leadership is there to serve us, for our advancement, so we can be taught and receive so we can fulfill this grandeur of being in leadership…I wonder how the selfishness will play out when in leadership selflessnessis necessary to continue to give despite the circumstance, the trials, the heartaches, the troubles, the processes, the shifting, the changes, the sacrifices, the time spent crying out for each person, groups, other churches, organizations, leaders, the nation, the world, still seeking God for how to serve better, to reach more, to help more, when the support of others who were there decided they weren’t going to hold them up in prayer anymore and only take by expecting them to serve or even pray with a sense of control in how they need to serve better or even giving specifics in how they should? Even, realize those things we criticized, ‘how we would do this if we were in leadership’, really come forth and we see the fullness of what was really happening, that what we thought was so very little to what was? How can we expect something different in the future when we can’t see beyond us, our own desires in giving?
So, how do we give? We give with our eyes on Jesus. We give as we are lead. We give without selfishness attached to it. We give through the heart of the Father. We give to the Father our reverence. We give to the Father our every breath. We give our Praise, our Worship, our time, our resources, our desires, our agendas, in order to be obedient to the Father. We fast, we pray, we consecrate. We support the leadership the Father has appointed by praying, by serving in whatever possible capacity within the church, through faithfulness, true desire to help others, to see the adding to the Kingdom, to realize that the leadership’s goals are those of the Father, the love of the Father for everyone. We give despite our hurt, our struggles, our circumstances. We support, and put away all things of us, knowing that the Father knows our needs, the Father knows our hurts, the Father knows our desires, the Father loves us and will use the leadership to help us. We are to give to the church, the leadership, by recognizing that we are giving to the Father, just as they are giving.
“And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had” Luke 21:1-4.