We are not giving what is ours. We do not give to God a portion of what belongs to us. Instead, we are giving back to Him part of what is His. Our decision is not how much to give, but how much of God’s blessings we can afford to keep (Romans 14:8; Haggai 2:8).

Giving is to be according to our prosperity. The more we have, the more we are to give. We are to give as we have been prospered (I Corinthians 16:2). What we have is only temporary. We do not own what we have. God’s bounty is only ours to use for a short time. Our possessions are part of our gifts from God. We will give account to Him of the way we have used them (I Timothy 6:17-19).

Giving is a spiritual matter. Paul speaks of our giving to God as a service (II Corinthians 8:4). It is an evidence of our sincerity and is a proof of our love (II Corinthians 8:8, 24).

Our generosity will be rewarded. Although reward can never be a proper motive for giving, we have God’s promise that He will not forget us and will reward us for our liberality. Read Proverbs 11:24; Matthew 25:29; Malachi 3:8-10.

Giving begins in the heart. The tabernacle was built in the wilderness with gifts that were given from hearts that were stirred to sacrifice for God (Exodus 25:1). Our purpose must begin in our heart, and must be translated to action (II Corinthians 9:6-7).

The Lord knows our gifts. We can hide from men, even the IRS. Yet, we cannot hide from God. He knows our hearts. He sees our motives. He observes how much we give. Our giving is one way to serve Him who is the Source of all things. Let us understand that giving is serious business. It affects our relationship with God. It affects where we will spend eternity.

Author Unknown