At a downtown coffee shop I patronize frequently, they have a board and marker with different questions asked -- patrons write their answers on the board. The other day their question was: "What is your favorite bumper sticker?" My written response was: "Tithe if you love Jesus, anyone can honk"!
Which brings up the subject of giving. Giving is the most blessed choice God has bestowed on us. "Give and it shall be given unto you", as a principle, applies whether you are a Christian or not. It is like the law of gravity.
After many years of being a Christian, and attending church services -- my favorite part of a church worship service is when the offering plate is passed around. This gives me a chance to be blessed more than any other part of the service. I just can't wait for the opportunity to give.
In talking about receiving a tenfold return on our giving, a TV pastor said: "Don't expect your tenfold return between the time you get up out of your seat and hit the lobby"! When we exercise complete trust in the One who makes no mistake, the timing of the blessing will automatically take care of itself. It WILL come.
And while we are promised a return on our giving -- THAT IS NOT THE REASON WE GIVE. Our giving comes out of a heart of love and is totally unconditional. In fact it shouldn't even matter whether a blessing comes back to us or not. So much giving is done with the expectation of getting something in return. Many only give birthday gifts to folks who give them one; and while this is fine, it is not true Christian giving. A beloved old gospel chorus says:
Everybody put your shoulder to the wheel,
do your duty with a heart full of love.
The Lord don't want you shirking,
He wants everybody working,
Everybody put your shoulder to the wheel.
Even as God's love for us is unconditional, our motivation for giving must be unconditional as well. Once we give the gift, we let it go. We don't concern ourself with what the person/group we gave to does with the money - that is between them and God. You will still reap the reward of your giving, regardless.
And giving with a heart full of love is the only way to give. If you give and then resent the the giving, and/or get upset if the person you gave to doesn't flatter your ego about it, or give you something in return, then you may as well not even bother to give at all. Oh, to be sure, the recepient of a gift should show gratitude and thank the giver -- yet true giving will result in God's blessing on the giver whether the recepient shows appreciation or not.
Years ago, I knew a woman who got angry at a church/ministry. She called them up and demand every cent she had ever given be returned to her. It turned out that, over a period of time, her donations amounted to around ten dollars. She lost the blessings she may have had from that giving, once she did that. In other words, she really didn't hurt anybody but herself.
A few years back the pastor of a church told me I could not attend there anymore unless I dressed in male attire. To be sure, I was very hurt over that. However, no way would I even think of calling them up and demanding that they return money I had put in the offering while worshipping there. The blessing from my giving comes from God, and while the Pastor could exclude me from that particular place of worship, the Pastor was completely and totally powerless to take away God's blessing from me as a result of my giving in the offering.
If any ministry -- church, radio, tv, publications, etc., -- is blessing you, and you never give them a dime -- that is wrong! In fact, one TV preacher calls this "spiritual shoplifting."
A large TV ministry splits up their offerings received three ways -- i.e., give some, spend some, save some. They also follow the principle: God first, others second, and ourselves third. And this particular ministry is very prosperous.
When I get my Social Security check on the third of the month, the first check I write is to a Christian radio ministry that has blessed me for many years. While I wish the check could be larger -- the actual size/amount of the offering is immaterial -- what is important is the heart attitude by which the giving is done.
Last year after I had open heart surgery, once I got out of the hospital and the rest home, a place to live with rent that I could afford just automatically opened up to me in a building with a long waiting list. And from years of experience, I can testify to God's goodness and protection in looking out for me. I put God and others first and, as a result, God sees to it that my needs are met "according to His riches in glory". What I am talking about is real!
And so the bumper sticker that reads TITHE IF YOU LOVE JESUS, ANYONE CAN HONK rings true today. It reiterates the truth penned by the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 13. We can make a lot of noise, be loud in our speech, and even speak in tongues -- and yet, without love, all of this is merely "sounding brass and tinkling cymbal" -- in other words, you are making a lot of meaningless noise. Remember that bumper sticker, ...."anyone can honk"! Words don't mean much unless followed up with action.
Always remember - there's someone who loves you, who is with you whenever you pray. That One is Jesus Christ, seated at the right hand of God, ever living to make intercession for us -- the One who understands are cares. Know that!
SISTER PAULA NIELSEN
Thursday, April 13, 2006