God brought an understanding about offerings to me that completely changed the way I give. It was not just a minor adjustment, but a shift in perspective that affected my heart and my actions. I would like to share this with you, but before we continue, I need to make something clear. If you believe that whenever you give an offering in church you are giving to the church or to the pastor, then this post is not for you. You may need to stop here. However, if you genuinely believe that when you give an offering, you are giving to God, then let us reason together. This insight is part of How to Live with Integrity, Justice, and Faithfulness as a Christian, where every act—including giving—is aligned with honesty, righteousness, and devotion to God.
If you have ever been close to church administration and seen how much most churches receive in offerings, you will begin to understand a certain reality. Many churches are sustained by those offerings, and yet the amounts are often not as large as people assume. Some people believe that pastors live comfortably on offerings alone, but in most cases, that is not true. Even where it may appear so, the offerings in many places are not enough to fully meet a pastor’s needs. There may be a few exceptions, but generally, this is the reality across many churches. Understanding this helps us grasp the kingdom principle of release, where giving is not about supporting individuals alone, but about participating in God’s work and sowing into His purposes with faith and intentionality.
So the question becomes very important: if we claim we are giving to God, why do our offerings often look so insignificant? Why is there such a gap between what we say we believe and what we actually give? The answer, when you think about it honestly, is quite simple. Many of us give because everyone else is giving. We participate in the act, but not always in the understanding or the intention behind it.
It is common to see people squeeze a small amount of money into their palms, dance energetically to the front, and drop it into the offering basket. Some even give money they would have otherwise thrown away. At times, we give simply because we do not want others to think we have nothing to offer. So we search our pockets, gather whatever is available, and present it. But in moments like that, we rarely pause to consider what we are actually doing or who we are truly giving to.
There was a day I decided to give my pastor some money, and that experience changed my thinking. As I prepared the envelope, I found myself asking questions I had never really asked before. “Is this enough?” “Can he actually use this meaningfully?” I kept adjusting the amount, increasing it gradually until it became something I considered reasonable and worthy. I wanted it to reflect honor, not just obligation.
Then something struck me in that moment. If I could think this carefully about giving to a pastor—a man who serves the same God I serve—what about when I give to God Himself? That realization stayed with me. It forced me to confront the way I had been giving before. It made me see that sometimes, we are more thoughtful in our giving to people than in our giving to God.
Some may argue that if everyone gives a little, it will eventually become a large amount. While that may be true from a collective standpoint, that is not how God relates with us. God deals with us personally, not collectively. He is not measuring the total amount gathered in an offering. He is looking at your offering—your heart, your intention, and your sacrifice.
So consider this for a moment: if God were to use your offering for something as simple as a dinner outing, would it be enough? This question is not meant to condemn you, but to provoke honest reflection. It helps you evaluate whether your giving truly aligns with your belief that you are giving to God. Sometimes, we need such questions to awaken a deeper sense of responsibility and reverence in our giving.
Yes, we have been taught that we should not allow an offering basket to pass us without giving. That teaching is good because it encourages generosity and participation. However, giving must go beyond habit. It must be intentional. You do not give to God out of pressure, and you do not borrow money just to give. You give from what He has already provided for you, with a heart that understands the value of what you are doing. This is where we see how God rewards His servants—He honors sincere, intentional giving that flows from understanding, faith, and a heart aligned with His purposes.
If you truly do not want an offering basket to pass you by, then it is wise to plan your finances accordingly. Make room in your monthly budget for meaningful offerings. Treat your giving as something important, not something you do casually or as an afterthought. When you plan for it, you give with purpose, and your offering carries more weight before God.
Personally, I believe that giving one worthy and thoughtful offering in a month is better than giving careless and insignificant offerings every time. There is something powerful about intentional giving that reflects honor and understanding. In the Bible, Solomon once gave a thousand offerings, and everything changed for him. That was not a random act—it was a deliberate and substantial expression of devotion.
Let us learn to give God offerings that truly honor Him. Let our giving reflect our understanding, our gratitude, and our reverence. When we begin to see offerings in this light, it changes not just what we give, but how we give—and ultimately, how we relate with God.
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