Learning How to Give

Years ago I was in military school and lived on campus. Every Sunday morning we would go to church, and they would give each of us a dime to put in the offering. So I went to Sunday school with my dime, thinking, “I don’t really want to give this dime. I want to use it for myself.”

So when the offering plate went by, I kept the dime. Then I went to the canteen and bought licorice with it. But I couldn’t even finish it because I felt so guilty.

Even then, with as little as I knew about God, I knew that money belonged to Him.

When you send your children to church or Sunday school with a little money to put in the offering, they learn the importance of giving. And even children need to learn how to give.

Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth, “Now regarding your question about the money being collected for God’s people in Jerusalem. You should follow the same procedure I gave to the churches in Galatia. On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once” (1 Corinthians 16:1–2 NLT).

These Christians gave on a regular basis. In the same way, we should set something apart for the kingdom of God out of every paycheck. After all, we set money aside for taxes (or at least we should). We set money aside for expenses. We have a budget of some kind that we operate by.

But it’s amazing how many people, even Christians, think nothing of neglecting to set anything apart for the Lord.

I don’t think it’s legalistic to give regularly to the Lord. Rather, I think it’s good planning and obedience.