Sun 9:30a Class; 10:30a Worship; 11:35a Communion
Bible Bites
A Coveted Gift
“…and arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift, so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness.” (2 Corinthians 9:5)
One of the reasons that God asks us to prepare our contribution ahead of time (see 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 for that command) is so our gift isn’t tainted by covetousness. When we wait to decide how much we are going to give until we are assembled, we might be tempted to give more than we cheerfully wish to because of the pressure of the moment, or we may choose to withhold part of our contribution because we didn’t purpose in our heart ahead of time to give to God.
Your contribution should be a sort of “first fruits” of giving. It should be given from the beginning of the paycheck, not the last of what is jingling in your pocket. It should also be given with intentionality so that the amount is not an emotional gift swayed by the moment but a determined choice to put God’s work first. Don’t let covetousness affect your giving.
Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites
