A church should never be struggling…!
The struggling church! Should never be!
Our offerings to the Lord are an indication of what’s in our hearts, Jesus said, Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also – Matthew 6:21.
People who claim to love the Lord and His work can easily prove it with their finances. Giving is a grace. 2Co 8:1 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: 6 So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. 7 But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also. 8 I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
And if we have experienced the grace of God, we will have no problem giving generously to the Lord who has given so much to us. The prophet Malachi challenged the people of Israel – Malachi 1:9 – “Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all?” asks the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
He said how can we ask God to be gracious to us and answer prayer if we have not practiced “grace giving” ourselves!
The church should never be a struggling church – and this reflection to the world is one that turned the ‘baby boomer’ generation away in droves. Why? Because the church was always asking for money, having jumble sales, selling second hand junk in order to pay its way. Grace giving was NOT happening.
When in reality the church, if filled with people saved by grace, who have been forgiven of all their sins and now are filled with the presence of God in their lives should be only too thankful to provide and give.
Luk 7:47 “Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
If the church is struggling, if the church is not demonstrating grace giving we are left with two alternatives:
1.Our hearts are still in the world and that’s where our treasure still remains, or
2. Those not ‘grace giving’ just have not been forgiven and know nothing of God’s grace.
In the second week of my being born again, I heard about grace giving and because I had received the grace and love of Jesus Christ, been forgiven much, my heart was overjoyed that I could give to my Lord and Saviour in a way that would be pleasing to Him and a demonstration of my love for Him!
Christ is my treasure still!