Giving God His Due - Martin Wiles

You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35 NLT

How could ninety cents go further than one dollar? According to Dad, however, it was doable.

Two things Dad taught me about money were the importance of saving some and the necessity of giving one-tenth to God. As a child, I only received money from allowances or gifts on Christmas or my birthday. Dad reminded me that I was supposed to give one-tenth to God. He called it tithing and repeated an old adage: “You can’t outgive God.”

I took Dad’s word as truth. When I learned math concepts, I wondered how to buy more with ninety cents than one dollar. But Dad taught me that tithing worked, and so I continued. I tithed ten percent of my income when I began my first part-time job. Dad even taught me that I should tithe from my gross pay, not merely my net. Again, I wondered, Why should I give from what I didn’t receive? After I began working full-time, I continued the practice. Tithing worked. I couldn’t explain it; I simply experienced it.

When we give God his due, we demonstrate our belief that his resources are limitless. He had given me the job and the means to work it and owned every available job and resource. Why should I worry about how I would get by without the ten percent? Believing God can make the ninety percent go further than the one hundred percent is an act of faith—a deed that reminds us that we walk by faith, not sight.

Giving God his due boosts our trust level. We always need the ten percent to pay bills. In fact, we need more than ten percent. Yet, God still wants us to give him the ten percent—and sometimes more. Then, we'll believe he’ll stretch the ninety. And God will honor our giving when we’ve done it with the right spirit and motives. He promises to meet our needs, and we'll learn he can be trusted to keep his word. Giving sporadically illustrates a lack of faith in God, but consistency proves our faith.

Giving comes down to giving because we want to, not because we must. We give to God because he has given so much to us. 

Make sure you are giving God his due. 

Father, prompt me to give you your due because you have given so much to me. 

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Walk-on Wednesday - Giving a Better Sacrifice - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Walk-on Wednesday. By Hump Day, we are struggling, but we believe a good devotion can strengthen us to finish the week strong. 

It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man. Hebrews 11:4 NLT

His outfit of choice for Sundays was typical for his generation.

Dark pants, a white shirt, black shoes. He sat in the same pew each Sunday. As I looked at him from my vantage point, I noticed the same thing every Sunday: a single dollar bill tucked neatly in his shirt pocket.

As the offering plate was passed, he delivered his offering. Had he been like the widow Jesus told of who gave everything she had, I would have marveled at his generosity. But he wasn’t. His dollar didn’t represent a tithe, an offering, or even a sacrifice. I happened to know a little about his financial situation. His gift wasn’t a sacrifice at all.

Cain’s wasn’t either. Since he was a farmer, it was natural that he would bring produce to God as an offering. Yet that was the trouble—he only brought some. Abel, on the other hand, brought several of his choice lambs to God. Blood wasn’t the issue; sacrifice was. Cain just gave some while Abel gave his best. God saw the motive and accepted Abel’s. Cain’s, he rejected.

My sacrifices for God should be measured by his sacrifice for me. I have a son, but I wouldn’t sacrifice him for anyone, regardless of how much I might love them. God did, however, by placing his Son on a cross and then humanity’s sins on him. This was the only way he could restore the relationship between us and him. With proper motives, he made the ultimate sacrifice.

Why we give what we do is important. We should give out of appreciation. We can never repay God for what he’s done, but giving is one way we can demonstrate our love. How much we give is also crucial. Single dollars—unless they represent all we have—will only move God’s Kingdom work forward at a snail’s pace. Proportionate giving is what God desires . . . a sacrifice joyfully given. God wants actions from us as well. Money won’t substitute for actions that involve love and sacrifice.

Is there a better sacrifice you could give God?

Prayer: Father, we give our best to You because You’ve given Your best to us. 

Tweetable: What type of sacrifices are you giving to God? 

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