There's a new disease out there affecting almost everyone in today's world: It's called busy-itus.
Almost everyone is over committed and over scheduled. And that means when it comes to the church and helping others, finding the time to do so becomes a major burden for many.
How much do you care about the church?
About God's people? How much of your time is spent helping, giving and praying for your church? A lot of people give money to the church but much less give themselves.
There are a lot of reasons that move people to give to the church. I know that some people give as a write-off so that they will get a break on the taxes they pay to the government. If that is your only motive for giving, it is not a proper one.
A tax write-off is just not enough. That is not going to help you any with God.
Some people give to the church to gain a reputation for giving.
The Bible talks about giving a lot. We are to tithe, or give off the top of what we received. We are supposed to be involved in ministry, or service to the church. And we are to pray, for our fellow believers, our spiritual leaders and our church itself.
The Bible has lots of examples about those who had the wrong attitudes about giving.
It is striking that the very first death recorded in the church occurred when a couple, Ananias and Sapphira, decided they would gain a reputation for giving that they did not really deserve. In the fifth chapter of Acts we read that other people were giving property.
This couple thought they would get in on the honor and prestige that was being heaped on those who generously gave, so they gave some of the proceeds from tome land they sold. But they pretended that they gave all of it when they really did not.
When the Holy Spirit dealt with that hypocritical kind of giving he dealt very severely with it.
Some people give because they were afraid of dying and they want to make Brownie points with God.
There have been people who give hundreds of thousands of dollars because they felt it would help them in their standing before God at the judgment seat. But they were not giving to help the cause of God or the church. They gave because they thought they could buy God's favor.
All these are wrong motives.
When it comes to giving, motive is more important than the amount.
God is not so interested in how much you give the church, but why you give. Do you love the church? That is the example we have from Christ.
More than 24 million seniors collectively volunteer 6 billion hours each year in the United States. Researchers at the University of Michigan recently discovered that the survival rate of seniors who volunteered 40 or more hours a year for a single cause was 40 percent greater than that of non-volunteers.
"Seniors who volunteer say it improves their health, life satisfaction, and social well-being," says Donna Thurmond, director of Senior Services for Volunteers of America.
That's just one example of why serving and giving and ministry is not only pleasing to God but good for us.
We are supposed to serve because it's somehow wired into our spiritual DNA.
Not to give and serve and pray is to turn our backs on God.
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