God First in Your Life
God looks for, and delights in, our freewill offerings. Free will means what it says; a voluntary choice or decision given of your own free will. It does not mean something that has been demanded out of you, embarrassed out of you, or given because guilt or condemnation has been placed upon you. It does not mean something that has been given for fear of the consequences of not giving it. Free will means freewill. It is precious, because it is a true indicator of our heart’s condition.
Again and again we read of the term freewill offering in the Old Testament. We read of it in the Bible because it is foundational to understanding God’s heart. God does not expect all of us to give exactly what another person gives; He has asked for a tithe or 10 percent of our first fruits for the Church, along with additional freewill offerings above the tithe. We give in proportion to how He has blessed us.
Offerings for Him and the Church
What is an offering, or what I like to call generous giving? They are offerings in which you search your heart, talk to God, and also your spouse if you have one, about your decision to give beyond the tithe, never in place of the tithe. Richelle and I budget for giving offerings because we want to be sure we have something special set aside to give. However, if God says give…. we give. No questions asked.
Tithes go to the local church, while freewill offerings are your decision, including how much and where they go. Many people give offerings to their local church because they are excited about what God is doing there. Others may use their offerings to support mission organizations.
2 Corinthians 9:6–9: The Message
6 Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop.
7 I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.
8 God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done.
9 As one psalmist puts it, He throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon. His right-living, right-giving ways never run out, never wear out.
I highly recommend that you set aside some serious quiet time and read 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. The more you invest, the greater the harvest both personally, and for the kingdom of God!
Are you a Christian? Then you should be growing in your fiscal responsibility through the Church. You should be giving more generously, both through offerings and the tithe. Read these words carefully: The truth is, it’s never about the amount of money given. It’s about trusting and obeying God and His Word.
Remember tithing is about the percentage and first fruits. Offerings, or generous giving, is a heart issue and a hearing issue on what to give! Discover the joy of giving and trust God in this area of your life. I promise you this, it will help your faith grow and bless you in ways your mind has yet to think up.
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