Two brothers walked across the young earth, each carrying an offering for God. Cain, a farmer, brought some produce while Abel, a shepherd, brought the choicest animals from his herd. Together they presented their offerings. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, but not with Cain and his offering (Genesis 4:2-5, NIV). God looked into their hearts and judged their offerings accordingly.
In Cain, God saw a man who considered himself owner of his crops. Cain took what he needed, but always gave the best first to God. We can describe Cain’s attitude and his offering as a "careless, thoughtless offering." In Abel, however, God saw a man with the heart of a steward or good manager of what was entrusted to him. Abel considered God the owner of his herd, so he gave back to God what was rightfully His. This attitude... that God is the owner of all we have... pleased God in the beginning and continues to please Him today.
Wealth and honor come from God, according to 1 Chronicles 29:12, and He rules over all things. In His hands are strength and power to exalt. We must master this truth and know that we are only managers of the money and possessions God has entrusted to us. As such, we must use them for His glory and to further His Kingdom.
In a society heavily laden with shopping channels, outlet malls and mega malls, changing our thinking about material possessions will require more than a little effort. We alone can't change ourselves, but God will gladly change us as we renew our minds by meditating on His Word. Consider spending serious time, maybe the next 30 days, meditating on 1 Chronicles 29:11,12 to develop the proper attitude towards financial faithfulness. Begin to think of what you have and possess as "the Lord's" instead of "my" or "mine" and acknowledging God's ownership of what you acquire each time you make a purchase. This personal practice will begin to transform your mind as the responsibility we all have towards the material possessions we have.
As stewards we have a manual, the Bible, that contains principles for giving, saving and spending. How believers are to view and use their material possessions is a pervasive theme throughout the Word of God. It contains more than 2,350 verses on handling money, for God is concerned with even the smallest details of our personal finances.
As in the case of the servants entrusted with wealth while their master was away (Matthew 25:14-30), our Master, too, will return to question us as to how we have used His possessions. If we are diligent and reliable in using the treasures (whether many or few) God has entrusted to us, our Master will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
As we think like faithful servants of the Master, our behavior changes. We look for ways to use our car or house or money to bring glory to God. If we know that the car we drive belongs to God, we use it generously to help friends and neighbors who need a ride. If we know that the house we live in belongs to God, we cheerfully open it to others who need a place to stay, or to host visiting missionaries. If we know that the money we have belongs to God, we use it to expand His kingdom because He desires that all men come to know Him.
This desire is God's priority and should be ours as well. While our personal funds might not be enough to tell the world about Christ, if we join others in giving to our churches missions fund, we can help tell many. Currently, Christians give just 2 percent of their income to Christian causes. And less than a tenth of a percent goes specifically to foreign missions. Not a ringing endorsement that we have gotten the message God wants us to understand.
God's Word teaches generous and sacrificial giving. "The early Christians did not limit themselves to the tithe: Acknowledging God's ownership of all their possessions, they gave with an abandonment produced by love. Those first believers must serve as examples for us today in their rich generosity despite extreme hardship and poverty. The tithe should serve as a starting point for giving. In our heart we must determine how generously and sacrificially we will give.
In Matthew 25:45, Jesus taught specifically about giving to the poor: "I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me" (NIV).
Jesus identifies with the poor, can we really do less? When we share with the poor, we are actually sharing with Jesus Himself. And if that truth is staggering for you, then the reciprocal has to be terrifying... when we do not give to the poor, we leave Christ Himself hungry and thirsty. No one really wants to be in such a desperate situation with the Living God.
The trick, and it’s a hard one, is not to hold on too tightly to earthly things. Jesus said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21, NIV). Our cheerful generosity as we share with others leads to personal treasures in heaven.
But to give so that someone else can have more means that we might have less. And that can be scary. Giving requires faith that God will provide for our needs. For example, when difficult times hit you and your family, make it a point to keep your giving commitments despite periods of low or interrupted income. God is faithful, and with selfless giving you demonstrate complete faith that God will provide for your family. You may not be living in the lap of luxury, but God will be faithful in providing exactly what we need and when we need it.
As we faithfully give of our worldly treasures, acknowledging in our hearts that they belong to God, we are obedient and faithful stewards. And to God, obedience shows we love Him. Such faithfulness brings blessing, for God will use us to provide for someone else in need, just as He might use another to meet our need. And through it all, the kingdom of God advances.
Give to the Kingdom what is already His and do it with Passion, so that we may Not Hinder God’s Work in the world today!
