During the offering a boy pulled a dollar from his pocket for the offering plate. The man behind him tapped his shoulder and handed him a twenty-dollar bill. The boy was perplexed, but he dropped the twenty into the plate too. Afterward, the boy asked the man about it. The man said, “That was your twenty. It fell out of your pocket when you pulled out the dollar.” The boy had put $21 into the collection plate, but he only got credit in heaven for one!

We can often do better when it comes to our tithes and offerings. Some people see them as a necessary evil so the church can pay its bills. But tithing is a spiritual reality, just like reading the Bible, praying, and witnessing. It enhances our spiritual growth, maturity, and poise. It curbs our bent toward materialism. It helps express our worship, and it funds the work of God around the world.

Don’t be afraid to be generous with the Lord. Give with a willing heart.

We should be guided in all our works by this one thought alone—that we may serve and benefit others in everything that is done.
Martin Luther