God loves a cheerful giver

Why Give Back to God?

Giving our tithes and offerings reflects a grateful heart that wants to give back to God a portion of what He has given us; in reality, what is already His. This is our opportunity to show God that He is first in our lives. The Bible says, The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives (Deuteronomy 14:23 TLB). Tithing is a reminder that God is the supplier of everything we have. It is also God’s personal invitation to an outpouring of his blessing in your life.

FOUR REASONS TO GIVE BACK TO GOD

Giving is a Reflection of the Heart:
Matthew 6:20-21 “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
What’s the most important thing to you? We see the way our culture encourages us to store up treasures on earth and exalts materialism to the point where debt has become acceptable. We can probably even recognize that truth by looking at our own checkbooks. As Christ-followers, however, we are called to free ourselves from the bondage of debt so that our resources are available for His purposes.

Giving is a Reflection of Priorities:
Long before tithing was a practice of the Israelite people, Cain and Abel, the 2nd generation of the human race, brought an offering to the Lord. Abel brought the “firstborn of his flock,” while Cain brought “some of the fruits of the soil.” The Lord blessed Abel’s offering, but rejected Cain’s. God wants to be first in our lives.
Deuteronomy 26:1-2 “

And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein; That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there.

” (KJV)

Giving is a Privilege:
The 1st Century church modeled for us what it means to give generously and joyfully so that more and more people could find their way back to God.
2 Corinthians 8:2-4 “that in a great testing by affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the richness of their generosity.  For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord,  begging us with much urging for the grace of sharing in the ministry to the saints,” (LSB)

Giving is a Blessing:
God uses the tithe as an investment where everyone involved gets a return. If we are blessed beyond our needs, it is not for the purpose of living more lavishly but to bless others. The church and the kingdom are blessed, and yet God’s nature is to also bless the giver.
Malachi 3:10 “‘Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.’” (KJV)