Give It Your Best

Leviticus 27:30,32
"All tithes from the land, whether the seed from the ground or the fruit from the tree, are the Lord's, they are holy to the Lord. All tithes of herd and flock, every tenth one that passes under the shepherd's staff, shall be holy to the Lord."

October is the time for the pledge campaign and prayerful consideration of the scriptural imperative of tithing. There's not much in Leviticus to tell us what sort of attitude the folk had when they gave up their ten percent. Nevertheless, I like the idea that the tithes of "herd and flock were holy to the Lord." What we do is not simply a financial transaction. We are not engaging in a fund raising campaign at All Saints like a public radio or television pledge campaign. In our faith we are talking about something that God regards as holy.

Perhaps its easier to talk about our spiritual gifts this way. It is easier to see that our talents are God given. If I were good at numbers (I'm not), I could develop this gift into being a CPA or an engineer. In that way I can take God's gift and leverage it into something that is beneficial to others and well as income producing for my family.

The money we earn is a result of God's gifts, not only of talent, but of material abundance. We are giving a holy gift when we give our time, talent, and treasure to God. When you love someone and you want to give that person a gift, do you check first for opportunites for "regifting" something or do you give it your best effort?

Ask yourself what it means to Give God your best rather than your leftovers.