WHY WE GIVE!

WHY WE GIVE!

1 Chron 16:26-29 KJV

26 For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

27 Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place.

28 Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.

29 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

          I can’t give to God anything that He does not already have! The Lord made the heavens and the earth as well. I can not increase his assets by releasing mine. He already owns what I intend to give. When I give liberally, even sacrificially, God is not as impressed with the size of the gift as He is with the size of my heart.

          I do not give to keep the lights on in His house or the temperature comfortable for the worshippers. I do not give to pay the mortgage or the rent although God uses my gifts to do all these things. No, I give because He is God and He is worthy. Any time religious fundraising focuses on a need it is focusing on a secondary purpose for giving. The primary purpose for my giving is to acknowledge God as supremely worthy of my gifts. My giving, or the withholding of my gifts, speaks more about my opinion of God than my personal economy.

Ps 50:12 KJV

12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.

          The widow who gave the two mites might have been released from her responsibility to give if giving were only based upon her ability but it wasn’t. Her giving was based upon her love. Remember, she only had two mites and she might have given one and kept the other! Jesus comments on her giving in the following verse. Her gift was small but her love was huge.

Luke 21:2-4 KJV

2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.

3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:

4 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.

Dear Lord, owner of everything, I bring you an offering today not because you have a need but because you are worthy! AMEN