HONOURING GOD WITH YOUR POSSESSIONS
You may be uncomfortable with what you’re about to read, but if it’s the truth, you have to face it. Because every one of us will give an account of our lives before God.
Proverbs 3:9-10 (NIV) “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.”
Many people think that giving is about fulfilling an obligation. But in truth, giving is a declaration of trust in God. It is an acknowledgement that God is the one who provides you with all you have and sustains you.
It’s saying, “Lord, everything I have came from You, and I give you this, from the abundance that You have given me.”
The Bible says that your heart is where your treasure is (Matthew 6:21). When you give the best of your resources: your time, your energy, your finances, etc., you’re saying, “You come first, Lord.”
You can’t talk about ‘giving to the Lord’ without addressing ‘giving to the poor’. Even though overtime, they have been treated as separate givings, according to scriptures, they are one and the same:
When you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, then you shall give it to the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan, and to the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.
And you shall say before the Lord your God, ‘I have removed the sacred portion from my house, and have also given it to the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, in accordance with all Your commandments which You have commanded me; I have not violated or forgotten any of Your commandments. Deut. 26:12-13 (NASB)
See? The “sacred portion,” the portion given to the Lord, went not only to the Levites (those who served in full-time ministry), but also to the strangers, orphans, and widows.
The problem today is that many Levites; that is, those who serve the Lord full-time, have tried to take it all, thinking only of themselves. They’ve failed to recognize that the stranger, orphan, and widow are official recipients of God’s portion. They are entitled to it, not as charity, but as part of what belongs to the Lord.
That’s why some preachers now say things like, “The house of God is not for philanthropy.” But that statement exposes a deep misunderstanding. The true concept of giving to God is by design, giving to those in need.
Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done. (Pro. 19:17 NIV)
In the early church, it was clear. The people brought their resources, laid them at the apostles’ feet, and those resources were distributed; not just for ministry work, but to ensure no one lacked among them. That is what it means to give to God.
There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. Acts 4:34-35 (NIV)
The Church, as a people, is not a separate entity from the people who make it up. The Church is not the building, not the equipment, not the physical things-it is the people themselves.
This is the reason why, from the beginning, as a Church, we didn’t rush to buy equipment or acquire property. We focused on people first. Even when it meant renting homes and managing with what we had, we chose that path because we didn’t have enough to do both; to care for the people and to buy equipment.
So the principle is simple: the people come first. Only when there is enough to care for the people can we then consider giving from the extra; and that extra can then go toward equipment or other material things.
However, if you belong to a congregation where this is not practiced, how then can you rectify this?
The answer is definitely not to rebel against the church leadership. But be observant, there are people in there who are clearly in need. I encourage you to divide your giving; give part to your pastor, but also set aside a portion to support the needy directly.
If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, My servant will be as well. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. (John 12:26 BSB)
To serve Him rightly is to honor Him, and to honor Him rightly is to follow His ways, caring for the ones He calls His own. Thus giving to the needy is direct honor to God.
Stunned by what you just read? Take some time to process.
We will continue next week with other ways you can honour God. Who knows? You may read yet another stunning thing.
READ NEXT: HONOUR (PART 5)
