Giving

1 Corinthians 16: 1-2  -   Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do.  On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.

What better way to end a letter than with a call to give and support the people of Christ. Paul is not speaking of a tithe here….the meager 10% that God called the Israelites to give back to God is spoken of in Leviticus…Numbers… and Malachi.  The people were told to give back a tenth of everything God blessed them with.  This was the way God took care of his priests. The New Testament never mentions a specific amount…scriptures such as1 Corinthians 16:2 "lay by in store as we have been prospered” and 2 Corinthians 9:7 “as we purposeth in our heart" are the words God gave Paul …to begin to teach us that the amount we give is up to us.

We need to remember that all we have belongs to God anyway…he blessed us not just to provide for ourselves but he calls us who love him to show his love by giving and supporting the various ministries he lays on our heart.  Paul calls these early Christians to set aside...some of the first fruits of their wages…not the left over’s …to help support  a church in Jerusalem.  We too should take up Paul’s directive and begin to expand our notion of true giving.

We should not only give generously….cheerfully and according to our prosperity…we should give sacrificially… like Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.  How can I ever think that the meager check I write as my decided ‘tithe’ is enough?  And Paul is not just speaking about money here…he goes to great lengths to tell us in this letter that our support of one another should include the provision of housing for missionaries….and encouragement of our brothers who have been sent out on the many missions efforts around he world.

Father…help me this Easter morn to expand my understanding of giving.  As I thank you for your son who gave his very life for mine…I pray that you would help me to set aside additional money to support any cause you might lead me to support.  And not just the money you have blessed me to make in my career…I pray that you would reveal to me how I can use my time and talents to support the work of my church…and community in spreading the amazing story of your love for all.  Amen.