Giving

Jesus said, ‘If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?’ (Luke 16:11 NIV). If we aren’t faithful to God when it comes to small amounts of money, we’re unlikely to be able to handle greater financial blessings in a way that honours Him. What does it mean to be faithful in our finances? Paul wrote: ‘On every Lord’s Day each of you should put aside something from what you have earned during the week, and use it for this offering. The amount depends on how much the Lord has helped you earn.’ That means three things: 1) Regular giving. Note the words ‘every Lord’s Day’. There’s a system to it, not just on and off. It’s not, ‘I feel good today, so I’m going to give to God.’ If we tried that strategy with repaying a bank loan or credit card bill, we wouldn’t get very far. Regular giving involves commitment. 2) Planned giving. ‘You should put aside something from what you have earned.’ When we’re in a position to give, we should spend time talking to God so we can discern the amount He wants us to give. If we don’t plan ahead, it’s more difficult to give consistently. 3) Proportional giving. ‘The amount depends on how much the Lord has helped you earn.’ If God blesses us financially, we should prayerfully think about increasing our giving. God is the One who enables us to earn money, and it’s only right that we give something back into His kingdom when He asks us to. He’ll be delighted by our faith, and He promises that we can trust Him to meet our own needs.