Verify Podcast

Happy Easter to everyone listening in. At Easter, we celebrate the foundation of our faith, because as 1 Cor15:14 puts it, without the resurrection, our faith is useless. So we give God praise for the gift of the resurrection.

Speaking of gifts, I’ve heard of several instances where people sowed as seeds in church, their family houses or cars; things that did not solely belong to them to begin with. In each of the instances that I know of, these acts led to awkward and embarrassing situations, where the rest of the family discovered what had happened, and demanded the property back.

Now, I believe totally that generous giving of money and other resources, in and outside of church, is a posture every true believer should assume because according to Heb 13:16, that is what pleases God. Also, from examples like that of the Widow in Mark 12:44, there’s definitely every indication that God applauds sacrificial giving.

However, Apostle Paul gave advice to the believers of his day, which has turned out to be very relevant, many centuries down the line. In 2 Cor 8:12, he writes that one should give according to what he has, not what he doesn't have. In verses 2-4 of 2 Cor 8, he applauded the Macedonian Christians, who even though they were poor, gave sacrificially. Interestingly, even in the Old Testament, the Israelites were instructed to give according to what God had blessed them with (Deut 16:17).

We should never be compelled to put in the offering basket, what is not ours, simply for the sake of sowing a big seed. Our giving should be bountiful and cheerful, at the level where we are, and out of what God has given us, and very importantly, it must never ever be under compulsion (2 Cor. 9:7). God doesn’t compare our seeds with those of the next person. He looks at your giving, based on what you have. That’s why the widow, who gave her two small copper coins, in the eyes of Jesus, gave more than the many rich people who had put in large sums (Mark 12: 41-44)!

May God grant us grace to always give as the bible says we should, so that our gifts both in and outside of church, will be honourable and acceptable to Him always, in Jesus name we pray, amen.