First to The Lord

We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints—and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you— see that you excel in this act of grace also. I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

- 2 Corinthians 8:1-9

Our giving, in Paul’s example, should be “first to the Lord.” In Christian understanding, this means our giving to our church is not the last thing we do with our money, but the first thing we do. We set our priority on Jesus.

One way to look at the priorities of your money is to look at your bank or credit card statements. Where does your income get spent? Like the rich young ruler, can you give your money away for God’s good purposes, or do you prefer to control it and use it for yourself? Our giving often reveals our trust in the Lord.

Of course, giving is not all about money but how we also use our resources of time and talent. I am not always the best user of my time. As a discipline I recommend reviewing how you use your time, otherwise we can easily go about our days ignorantly using our time for unproductive purposes.

Prayer

Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your name; increase in us the capacity to give generously for the needs of your Church; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.