For many years as a single adult Christian, I regularly tithed and gave above and beyond offering gifts. As a newly married couple, we gave generously. And the Lord blessed our lives. Then, one day a few years ago, we began to have financial troubles, and the extra giving from us stopped.
For the last couple of years, even our tithe has not been a full and true "tithe." I gave excuses and plead my case to the Lord ... you know I'm a missionary, right? You know that in addition to getting a lower salary than most in my field, I also take a cut in pay, right?
Well, all along this journey, my husband has been graciously waiting for me to "get on board." And so, we've begun giving in faith ... a faith promise between us and the Lord, knowing he always takes care of us. It has been hard! But stretching one's faith always is. But it's also good, knowing and trusting him fully.
I hope this article encourages you and spurs you on to step out in faith.
How God Taught Me to Give
by Oswald J. Smith
I
shall never forget how God taught me to give. I had been pastor of a large
church in the city of Toronto. One day I resigned and on the first Sunday of
January became pastor of a church which knew how to give in a way I had never
known. I started in this pastorate at a time when the church was holding its
annual missionary convention.
Now
I knew nothing about a missionary convention, I didn’t know the first thing to
do. So I just sat on the platform and watched.
The
ushers went down the aisles giving out envelopes. To my amazement, one had the
audacity to hand me—the pastor!--an envelope. I can still remember that moment
as though it were yesterday.
As
I held the envelope I read, “In dependence upon God I will endeavor to give
toward the missionary work of the church $_____ during the coming year.” I did
not know that God was going to deal with me that morning, and teach me a lesson
that I was never to forget--a lesson that later I was to teach to hundreds of
others.
I
started to pray. I said, “Lord God, I can’t do anything. You know I have
nothing. I haven’t a cent in the bank. I haven’t anything in my pocket. This
church only pays me $25.00 a week. I have a wife and child. We are trying to
buy our home; prices are sky high.”
“I
know that,” the Lord seemed to answer me. “I know you are getting $25.00 a
week. I know you have nothing in your pocket and nothing in the bank.”
‘Well,
then,” I said, relieved, “that settles it. I have nothing to give and I can’t
give anything.” It was then the Lord spoke to my heart. I shall never forget
it.
“I
am not asking you for what you have,” He said.
“You
are not asking me for what I have, Lord?” I replied. “Then what are You
asking?”
“I
am asking you for a faith offering. How much can you trust Me for?”
“Oh,
Lord,” I exclaimed, “that’s different. How much can I trust You for?”
Of
course, I knew nothing about a faith offering. But I knew the Lord was
speaking. I thought He might say $5.00, or perhaps even $10.00. I almost trembled
as I awaited the answer. Then it came. Now of course God didn’t speak to me in
an audible voice, but He might just as well have.
“How
much can I give?” I asked.
“Fifty
dollars!” I exclaimed. “Why that’s two weeks’ salary!”
But
again the Lord spoke and it was still the same amount. It was just as clear to
me as though He had spoken out loud.
My
hand trembled as I signed my name and wrote in the amount--$50.00.
How
I ever paid that amount, I don’t know to this day. All I know is that every
month I had to pray for $4.00. And every month God provided it. At the end of
the year I had paid $50.00. As I paid the final amount I realized I had
received the greatest blessing of my life!
I
had trusted God for a certain amount and He had met it. So great was the spiritual
blessing that the next year at the convention, I doubled the amount and gave
$100.00. Then, at another convention, I doubled the amount again and gave
$200.00. At still another convention I doubled it once more and gave $400.00.
Then later I doubled it again and made it $800.00. From that day to this I have
been increasing the amount and sending it to the Bank of Heaven year by year.
If I had waited until I had it, I never would have given it because I never
would have received it. I gave a faith offering and God honored it.
That
was the first time, I say, that I had ever given what I call a faith offering.
The Apostle Paul often took up “faith promise offerings.” He asked a church to
promise a certain amount, and gave them a year to pay it. As the year drew to a
close, he sent someone to remind the church of their faith promise before he
arrived (see 2 Corinthians 9). A faith promise offering is a scriptural
offering, it is a Pauline offering, and God blesses it.
Have
you only given cash offerings? It requires little faith to give a cash
offering. If I have a dollar in my pocket, all I have to do is take it out and
put in on the plate. I don’t have to ask God for it. I don’t have to trust Him
for any definite amount. I just have it and give it.
But
it is entirely different with a faith promise offering. I have to pray and ask
God how much He would have me give, then trust Him for it. Month by month I
must go to Him in prayer and ask Him for the amount promised. I must wait upon
Him until it comes in. What a blessing such dependence brings!
For
well over a quarter of a century now, that is the kind of offering I have taken
for missions. In our annual missionary convention we never get more than six or
seven thousand dollars in cash, but we get a quarter of a million or more in
faith promises! And it always comes in! More comes in than the amount promised!
I
am not talking about pledges. A pledge offering is between you and a church,
between you and a missionary society. Some day the deacons may collect it, or
you may receive a letter reminding you of it. You can be held responsible for a
pledge offering.
A
faith promise offering is between you and God. No official will ever call on
you to collect it. No one will ever send you a letter about it. If you are unable
to pay it, all you have to do is to tell God about it. Give Him your reason. If
He accepts it, you are free.
This,
my friend, is the greatest investment you can make. You should make money for
Him, use what you need to live on and give as much as you can for the work of
evangelization. Put your money where it will accomplish the most for God. Put
it into the getting out of the Gospel. Put it into the souls of men. Use it for
those who have never heard the message.
Perhaps
God would have you support a missionary or Christian organization and then
another, and another. Make a faith promise offering unto Him, then trust Him to
help you meet it. Immeasurable blessing will be yours.
