DO IT FOR YOUR THE HEALTH! According to the Mayo Clinic, showing gratitude has mental and physical benefits. It is said to be associated with physical and mental health. Studies have shown that gratitude is helpful in decreasing depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and other diseases. 

We are living in very challenging and stressful times in which possession, money, and wealth matter to all. However, if not careful, the pursuit of wealth will pull us away from what really matters, which is our relationship with God and one another. 

Satan uses the things of this world to tempt and lure us to him. However, the Word of God provides us with the guidance needed to avoid his trap.

In the Bible, God has provided us with practical guidance on how to live above the stresses of life, and we are given instructions on how to manage the resources He has given us.

In this series,

From a biblical perspective, we are looking at how to manage effectively the resources God has given us while prioritizing What Really Matters.

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Asking For God’s Guidance

God Almighty, You are worthy of all our praise. We are gracious for all the wonderful things you do for us. We are thankful for the sunshine, the rain, and even the air we breathe, but most of all, we are grateful for you giving your Son to save us. For that, we are totally grateful.  In Jesus’ Name Amen

King David asks an interesting question in Psalms 116:12. He asks.

12 What shall I render to the Lord For all His benefits toward me?

Considering we can by no means pay God for what He has done for us, his response in Psalm 116:13-14 is

13 I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the Lord.

14 I will pay my vows to the Lord Now in the presence of all His people. (Psalm 116:12–14, NKJV).

Surely, we cannot pay God for all that he has done for us, but we can show our gratitude. So how do we do that?

He asked us to return the tithe. It is not discretionary; it is what God claims as his own.  We could say that the tithe is his 10% return on His investment in us. 

We now understand that the tithe is 10% of all our income or gifts. That leaves us with 90 %, from which we can show our gratitude by giving an offering. (Split)

This is where our generosity begins. In other words, we give Him our offerings from the money left over after we pay tithe. It is in returning an offering that we show our gratitude for all the wonderful things God has done for us. Our offerings to God show what is in our hearts.

For example, the Israelites gave many different offerings to show what was in their hearts.

• They gave sin offerings to show God how thankful they were for His grace and mercy.
• They gave thank offerings to show God that they were grateful for His protection. )Split)
• They gave God offerings to show their gratitude to God for their protection, blessings of health, prosperity and spared life.
• Moreover, they gave special offerings to help the poor.
• And they gave offerings to build and maintain the temple, their house of worship. (Split)

In comparison to what God has given us, we must agree that our offerings and expressions of gratitude extend beyond buying special robes for the choir or paving the church parking lot.

Our gifts of money to God to show Him our thanks for everything He does for us are minimal, especially when we consider that He gave his only Son to save us.

We cannot help but agree with what John in I John 4:19 says:

19 We love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19).

The church, whether it be local, conference, or worldwide, uses the gifts we give to advance the cause of God.

This week we will review what the Bible has to say about offerings as a part of managing God’s family business on earth.

Did you know that Jesus, while living on this earth Jesus talked about money and wealth more than just about any other subject? What does that say about How God looks at money and wealth?

Find out more on Day 2: Motivation for Giving

If you want to return tithe and offering and do not have a church home, consider giving online,

@ Adventisgiving.org

 in the name of my local Church:

Hebron Seventh-day Adventist Church 7902 Wheatly Street in Houston, TX 77088

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