21/03/2021
THE GIFT OF GIVING
Recently, a God-fearing God-serving young man gave a bombshell confession saying that he had struggled to tithe to chruch. God gave him a promotion and pay increase during the pandemic crisis after he started to tithe. If it didn’t sound like that, he followed the teaching from Malachi 3:9-10 or God is a commercial God. I rejoice not for the promotion but for his giving spirit. The reluctance to give either to God or to others is human nature.
I had been there myself. The first time I attended church service was long before I become a Christian. I remembered that I felt uncomfortable with the sceptic mind when the pulpit appealed for money, which I knew not that offering/tithing was part of the order of worship. Unfortunately, the prejudice of faith that associates with money cemented my mind for a long time until I was in America to further my education and become a Christian.
None like many born-again Christians shared their up-lifting testimonies telling stories behind their conversations. I inventory how God has bestowed me with His guide, goodness and guard since I landed on US soil. Soon, I uttered the sinner’s prayer with a thankful heart and deep conviction. The process was uneventful; without knowing the spiritual significance, my heart clamour inside when the offering bag was before me.
Tithing is the matter of Christianity 101. In Bible studies, I have never come across any study on this specific topic. With the BSF this year, on the book of Genesis, we have father Abram, who gave Melchizedek a tenth of his possessions. He did not do it to invoke God’s blessing but did it in response to God’s blessings and divine protection for his entire family (Genesis 14:19-20).
Jacob (Genesis 28:20-22) responded to a dream from God that he built an altar and vow that he would give God a tenth of his belongings in exchange for God’s promise and protection for him and his family. Later, Moses introduced that the Tithing is Law (Leviticus 27:30-34). The first 10% shall be set apart as “Holy” that belonging to God. Therefore, the giving of ten per cent was the giving in faith.
However, in New Testament, Jesus‘ woe to those who give religiously according to Moses’s Law and neglect the “weightier issues “(Matthew 23:23), which says in Micah 6:8 –
“to act justly and love mercy and walk humbly with your God.”
God does not need anything from us, and we give God what already belongs to Him a hundred per cent. God’s all-sufficient Grace gave Apostle Paul the faith (Ephesians 2:8) to tell the Corinthians that “God loves a cheerful giver.” Unfortunately, man’s emotional decisions are unreliable. For example, 10% of One hundred is easy to give, and 10% of One million may be challenging. Whether 10% is the sum that is after-tax or before tax?
The milage from our thankful emotion to physically opening our bank book can go on indefinitely. He knows our hearts, and HE is merciful. Only HE is willing and is able to make us give cheerfully. A few years ago, my former church had members answer pages of questions to help us lookout for spiritual gifts either for our evaluation or to plug into serving in various ministries, and “Giving” is one of them.
2 Corinthian 9:6-7
“Let each one give [thoughtfully and with purpose] just as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver [and …”
God of the Bible
The Light Of Faith 