Written By: Kord Hilbert
When God had my wallet, He had my heart.
I heard this quote a couple of years back in a video of an old rodeo cowboy talking about the importance of giving and tithing and it still resonates with me today. Just as corporate singing of praise to God is worship, so is my private giving. I emphasize private giving because when we give, our fleshly desire is publically give; to be prideful in our good deeds while craving attention, affirmation, and praise for how great we are. “Look at how good of a Christian I am for giving up my OWN money”, I’ll say to myself. “I’m so much better than all these other people who didn’t do what I just did”. It hurts but it’s true. Jesus knows every single part of us as humans, and he knows our struggle with pride. It’s a sin from the beginning of time and it’s nothing new under the sun.
Then there’s the flip side where we don’t feel like we have to give at all. If you’re a college student like me, then money is tight and that bank account barely has anything in it. “I’ll start to consider giving when I’m older and have more money”. I don’t even think about giving or filling someone else's needs because I’m so consumed with myself and my own needs. The truth is this; God doesn’t want, need, or desire our pride money. In fact, God doesn’t need our money at all. But, God wants us to understand that a humble, giving heart is one that He takes joy in. I’m so utterly convicted by the challenge that Garrett gave this Wednesday; “Do I trust that the reward God will give me in heaven is greater than the human praise I receive”.
Ouch.
If I’m honest, I don’t always trust that heavenly reward. I love instant gratification and people seeing me fills that void fairly well, but it doesn’t fully satisfy me. Realizing that God sees every little thing I do and that He rewards me greatly for things that go unseen is an amazing truth that I can cling to in any circumstance. In the end, isn’t everything I have from God? Aren’t the shoes on my feet and the roof over my head a gift from Him? My prayer is that I come to a full understanding of this so my giving can overflow from what has been given to me. We each know when the Holy Spirit is leading us to give to something or someone; that stomach-churning, deep movement in our hearts that we know is Spirit-led.
It’s simple; if you feel that calling, then give and give privately with a humble heart.
Here are some easy ideas or ways to give so that your mind can become alert to the needs of others:
Tithe
Pay for someone’s meal
Sponsor an orphan
Give to your local church’s missionaries
Fill someone’s tank with gas
Donate your excess to Goodwill or places like it
Tip your servers well
This is only a shortlist but I hope it sparks some ideas for you to become aware of other people’s needs around you. Here’s my prayer for this today:
God, thank you so much for everything I have. I realize that it’s all from You and because of You. You have even given me the greatest gift of them all; eternal life through Your Son. Help me to see where I can give and give me a heart that is humble while giving. I trust that Your reward for me in heaven is greater than any praise I’ll ever receive on this earth. Thank you Lord. Amen.