“The church is always asking for money!”

When I hear people say this, I confess, I roll my eyes. I wonder if they think the air conditioning and heat that keeps them comfortable is free to the church or if they think the money to pay for them grows on trees in the churchyard.

If you’re one who has said this, please, think about what you’re saying. The church—the people—ask for money to be able to do the things the church does: provide a building where people are comfortable and safe, provide meals for people, help the community, and all the other things that particular group of people does. Are there abuses of that? Sure. Just like at any business or bank anywhere. We expect better, but it happens because… people.

In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul has written to remind the believers in Corinth of their promise to provide funds for the believers in Jerusalem. At the time, the Jerusalem believers were persecuted harshly, with even their means of making a living reduced or removed. To support the church there, Paul encouraged the believers in other places to send money. The church in Corinth had pledged a certain amount.

In this letter, Paul is encouraging the believers to avoid procrastination in their giving. He invited them to immediately begin bringing their gifts to be saved until he arrived so that they could know they were reaching their goal and be able to add to it if they were not. Seems a sound plan to me.

Paul is careful to tell them that no one should be compelled to give. No one should give reluctantly. Those who will give should not be dragging their feet to do so. In essence, they should come running with excitement to be able to help not only their own family of believers, but believers far away.

This message is for us today as well. We should be bringing our tithes and offerings to our storehouse—the community of believers to which we belong—with joy and excitement at being able to support the entity that supports us, and to help others who love the Lord as we do.

We should look at why the church needs support—are they providing for the community at large? Are they helping the believers grow in their knowledge and understanding of God and His Word? Are they providing a place to meet that is comfortable with chairs to sit on? If we want to see our church do more of those things, it is necessary for us to pay for that.

We can’t just say we’re going to give and then not give. We can’t just pledge to give and then forget to give.

Choose today to serve God by serving others in the giving of your tithes and offerings through the church in which God has placed you.

And note: stop grumbling about it! That’s the enemy’s tactic to keep you from enjoying the freedom found in obedience to God.

Coffee, Bible, Journal.

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