I love to give gifts to people. The problem is, I’m terrible at remembering birthdates, anniversaries, etc. Even those of my own children sometimes sneak up on me. I am grateful for a conscientious wife who is very good at this and will prompt me.
This is simply a reminder that to be good at giving requires discipline. Good intentions are great, but the joy and benefit of giving will not be fulfilled without following through. This is especially true when it comes to giving to God. If you are thinking, “Oh no! This is where he is going to ask us to give money to the church!” you are only partly right.
The discipline of giving to God involves far more than simply dropping bucks in the offering box. It requires the willing sacrifice of our entire being. To be a disciplined giver begins with an act of full submission to the lordship of Christ which we have discussed in the past.
Jesus gave us a beautiful story of this by sharing an account of a situation he saw one day in the Temple court. Luke 21:1-4, As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
Jesus is letting us know that he is not impressed with the size of our gift, but more concerned with the heart with which it is given. This is important for us to understand when we discover that our giving is not only about money. Does the church need financial gifts to function? Yes. However, Scripture is clear that giving to God involves far more. Not only does God need a part of our treasure, but he needs our time and talents as well. In fact, our treasure is often the easiest to give up. We take out our 10%, or whatever God leads us to give, put it in the mail or the offering box, and move on.
True discipline in giving is measured in our willingness to give our time and talents. How much of your time does God get it week? We’re not talking about time in church or our own Scripture reading and prayer, those are mostly times we get something from God. Consider the time we give. This is usually measured by activities outside the church where we serve others without expectation of something in return. Helping a neighbor with a project, taking someone to the doctor who can’t drive, sitting with an elderly person who just needs a friend. These are only examples, but the opportunities are endless.
Think about this. What are the talents you have? You might have mechanical or building skills. You are a gifted cook or cleaner. Maybe you can encourage people with your presence. Whatever it is, consider how you can use your talent to model Christ to someone. Here is the hard part. Look at your calendar, choose a time to act and put it in your schedule so you don’t forget. Remember, good intentions alone will get you nothing.
Consider this. The Bible teaches the principle of tithing, giving 10% of our income to the work of the Kingdom of God. How impressive would it be if we all began to tithe our talents and time? Allowing for eight hours of sleep a day, we are left with 112 hours each week. Imagine the eternal impact available if each of us practiced sacrificial service to someone in our community for 10 hours a week! It would require some hard choices. Saying yes to one thing means saying no to something else. But those choices would have an impact on eternity and a fulfillment of your life as well.