Why Do You Give?

Psalm 62:9-12 The Message

⁹ Man as such is smoke,    woman as such, a mirage.
Put them together, they’re nothing;    two times nothing is nothing.

¹⁰ And a windfall, if it comes—    don’t make too much of it.

¹¹ God said this once and for all;    how many times
Have I heard it repeated?    “Strength comes
Straight from God.”

¹² Love to you, Lord God!    You pay a fair wage for a good day’s work!

I remember when Steve and I were first married, life immediately changed.  It was so strange to now live life with someone.  We were now supposed to make decisions together. I loved being able to share my life and its responsibilities with Steve.

One of the first decisions we made together was the decision to tithe.  Being a good steward of what God gave was important to us.  We were already on a good path with our time and talents.  We loved serving God in the church and outside the church.  But we had not yet tithed our treasures.

Why was tithing important to us?  It was not to impress man. Psalm 62 says, “Man as such is smoke”  No, we decided to tithe because we loved God.  The Psalm also says, “Strength comes straight from God.”

Steve and I had an understanding right from the beginning that what we have comes from God, and we find it an honor to return those gifts right back to him.

Why do you give?  It is an important question to ask. Giving shouldn't be a burden but a blessing given with a joyful heart.  That does not mean it won't be a sacrifice. Anything good cost us.  But the price is worth it when we think of all God has done for us and what he wants to do with our giving.