There was a plague that claimed lives in ancient Israel during the reign of David. The Lord instructed him to build an altar at the threshing floor of Araunah. When he got there, he told Araunah his intentions. Araunah decided to give it to him freely but he declined.
His response to Araunah was: "I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing". There is something to learn from David's mindset when it comes to giving or sacrificing to the Lord.
First, giving to the Lord should cost us something. David could have gotten that threshing floor freely and still get the animals fir sacrifice as a gift but he decided to take from his own resources to purchase the threshing floor and used his animals. If hadn't done that, it would no longer be classified as sacrifice. Every sacrifice should take something from the giver. It cannot be done on behalf of another. It must proceed from your increase.
I doubt If "convenient giving" is acceptable before God. One can deduce from the story of the widow who gave her mite. Others took from their abundance and gave it as offering in the temple. We can deduce that what they gave did not really cost them anything because they could the same amount over and over without feeling it.
Jesus saw a widow who gave her all, though little yet it cost her a lot. Jesus said, "...Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on"( Mk 12:43-44).
Dear, your giving must cost you something. This doesn't mean that giving should wreck you and make you beggarly thereafter. However, it should take something substantial from you. You cannot be earning so much yet giving what doesn't cost you anything. Such might not be blessed. Imagine a multi millionaire giving offering of N1000 and still battling to tithe or not?
In the days when my monthly allowance was N10,000 as a university student, my total giving was more than 25% If not 30%. I schooled in an expensive town but kingdom was priority in my finances. A lot of my colleagues earned more but that was what I earned from my first year till finals except times when one uncle, aunty or cousin blessed me yet I gave substantially from every of my increase.
That has been my attitude till date. Only stingy people argue about giving 10%. Some of us have left that benchmark giving long ago because we know our giving will expand his kingdom. I am intentional about this and I have taken my position on it for a long time. Those in the world lavish their monies in clubs, why should my giving to the Lord become a subject of debate. Satan knows that he can stop certain things If God's people withold their finances.
Stewards don't argue about what to give to the Lord. They don't subject it to debate or empty theological argument. They know their all belongs to God and that whatever they give will be used to glorify him. Those who don't give as they should have Mammon on the throne of their hearts. The power of Mammon and greed is broken as we give.
