Sacrifice.
As a child I remember going to church with my parents. I can even remember the taste of the pews (don’t pretend that you never licked them either).
I’m not sure why but I also recall getting enthusiastically excited as soon as our Minister announced that it was time for the collection. Mum would give us each a coin or two. I’m not sure what denomination the coins were, but that didn’t hinder the pleasure I got from placing it in the wooden bowl as it passed by. It felt great but it didn’t cost us anything.
In fact even today on top of my tithe I also put an additional ‘gift’ in the collection basket, the amount varies; sometimes it’s everything that I have in my wallet and sometimes its just one of the notes in my wallet. The point is that on the whole it still doesn’t cost me. My standard of living has not been threatened by my ‘generosity’ to God. I have given out of my ‘wealth’ (by this I mean that I have enough to live on as well as treating myself to the occasional visit to the cinema, or purchase of a CD or book or DVD, or even buying a chocolate bar when I want… that’s wealth) and so it has cost me nothing.
King David once drew the line by refused to give God a cheap offering:
“I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." 2 Sam 24:24
You may also recall the widow who Jesus watched put 2 copper coins in the offering basket as she entered the temple. He said that she had given all that she had. This giving cost her, it was painful giving; it impacted her standard of living in that she no longer had anything to feed herself with. She cherished God so much as to give all she could. No one celebrated such giving; Jesus never even went up to her and said, ‘I saw how much you gave, well done.’ She gave everything (and, by implication, perhaps even her life if she could no longer feed herself); what an unsung un-named hero of faith.
Can you imagine giving your entire pay cheque one month? Is your immediate thought to justify not doing it? Me too.
Don’t you hate it when people’s giving makes you look bad.
I know what God deserves and yet I think twice about giving it. What is wrong with me!
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” Rom 12:1
I’m not sure why but I also recall getting enthusiastically excited as soon as our Minister announced that it was time for the collection. Mum would give us each a coin or two. I’m not sure what denomination the coins were, but that didn’t hinder the pleasure I got from placing it in the wooden bowl as it passed by. It felt great but it didn’t cost us anything.
In fact even today on top of my tithe I also put an additional ‘gift’ in the collection basket, the amount varies; sometimes it’s everything that I have in my wallet and sometimes its just one of the notes in my wallet. The point is that on the whole it still doesn’t cost me. My standard of living has not been threatened by my ‘generosity’ to God. I have given out of my ‘wealth’ (by this I mean that I have enough to live on as well as treating myself to the occasional visit to the cinema, or purchase of a CD or book or DVD, or even buying a chocolate bar when I want… that’s wealth) and so it has cost me nothing.King David once drew the line by refused to give God a cheap offering:
“I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." 2 Sam 24:24
You may also recall the widow who Jesus watched put 2 copper coins in the offering basket as she entered the temple. He said that she had given all that she had. This giving cost her, it was painful giving; it impacted her standard of living in that she no longer had anything to feed herself with. She cherished God so much as to give all she could. No one celebrated such giving; Jesus never even went up to her and said, ‘I saw how much you gave, well done.’ She gave everything (and, by implication, perhaps even her life if she could no longer feed herself); what an unsung un-named hero of faith.
Can you imagine giving your entire pay cheque one month? Is your immediate thought to justify not doing it? Me too.
Don’t you hate it when people’s giving makes you look bad.
I know what God deserves and yet I think twice about giving it. What is wrong with me!
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” Rom 12:1
posted by Andrew at 9:47 pm
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