Does it Matter When We Give?

Dear Friends,

Several years ago, the church I was working with found itself in its season of stewardship. We were quickly approaching commitment Sunday when I heard a knock on my office door. As I looked up, I was happy to see one of our young adults waving to me. I invited him in and after a few minutes of catching up his shoulders slumped, and his expression turned graven. He then told me that he and his wife were really struggling with filling out their intention of giving card because they were finding themselves struggling at the end of the month to pay their current commitment.

Liz and I could relate to this circumstance. As a matter of fact, it was a few short years prior to this conversation that I too had reached out to one of my mentors with the same exact scenario. The response I received was wise supported with words straight from scripture. He told me about how the Israelites, under the leadership of Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 31:2-10), would tithe ten percent of their riches (crops, goods, ect.). My mentor expressed that the Israelites would harvest their riches and immediately give it over to God before they would take their portion to live. This act of giving back to God from their riches pleased God and he multiplied their gifts.

After our conversation, Liz and I went back and looked at how we spent our money throughout the month (this can be a very humbling exercise). We found that by waiting till the end of we had already indulged in plenty of Starbucks, Chick-fil-a, and other shopping that left us giving out of our poverty. Our realization was that we needed to change the timing of our giving in order to give of our first fruits. When we made this change, we experienced giving out of our riches.

Sometimes we find that making small changes in the way we choose to relate to our treasures allows us to approach giving with a different attitude. God loves to pour out his abundant grace on the grateful. Is there something in your life that you could change to bolster your attitude of gratitude? God’s blessing on you all!

Peace and Grace,
Father Logan