Bills or Seeds?

One of my least favorite things to do is to pay bills.  It used to be so much harder with paper and stamps and handwritten checks.  Now it’s relatively easy being able to pay on-line, get bills electronically, and balance my account through some amazing software.  But, it’s not the process that’s hard, it’s the idea of releasing what is sitting in my hands and in my account- the idea of paying is hard.

I haven’t always been a giver, but over the last 20 years or so, I’ve learned how to faithfully put God first in my finances.  One thing that I do every week is set aside an amount in keeping with my income and give it to the church that I call home.  This is different than writing out a check for the water bill or to the doctors office.  In those cases, I know I owe the money for the services I’ve received, but still it’s painful.  When a credit card statement comes and I go through the detailed list knowing that I made the charges, it still doesn’t make me feel any better paying them.

Some people look at giving to their church as a bill.  I’ve actually heard people say that they need to “pay God” first, before everything else.  I remember a preacher who didn’t believe that.  He said that giving to God was not a “debt we owe- but a seed we sow.”  He talked about giving to the Lord as something joyful and filled with hope and expectation.  A generous person know the difference between paying bills and being a blessing with the resources we have.  They are focused on how they give and realize that they are not giving because they owe it to someone, but because God can do something greater with what they have then they can.

I believe the best way to see God work in our finances is by releasing them to Him.  If I am trying to manage everything I have and there is no room for generosity and giving, then I am being ruled by money. If, on the other hand, I give to God obediently, joyfully, and faithfully then bill paying is not as much a burden as a real part of seeing God move and provide for me.  I think that’s what the prophet Malachi meant when he challenged the people to “test God” in the tithe.  It’s about putting the Lord first in our finances, meaning we aren’t overcome by how much or how little we have.  Seeds that are sown always bring a harvest, while seeds that are eaten only satisfy for a meal or two.

Next time the offering plate comes by, or an opportunity to give generously to a godly cause comes your way- think of it not as a bill, but as a seed you are sowing in the lives of others.  Unlike a check you are writing for something you already used or bought or are making a payment on- this act of giving has no strings attached.  It’s just good, pure, joyful release!

-Peter