Biblical Benefit of Giving No. 4: Giving Acknowledges That God Owns It All

In previous stewardship articles, I explored three of the "Seven Biblical Benefits of Giving" identified by a Biblical scholar:

• Obedience: Following God’s instructions on tithing.
• Priorities: Investing in God's Kingdom rather than worldly treasures.
• Faith: Realizing that giving is measured by your trust in God, not your bank account.

To read these or other past pieces, visit the Newsletter tab on our website.

Biblical Benefit of Giving No. 4 is Giving Acknowledges That God Owns It All. God indeed owns everything, and we are only the stewards of our gifts for the short time that we are on this Earth.

The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. Psalm 24:1-2

If we are truly surrendered to God, then everything we have is His. After all, what do we have that hasn’t been given to us by God? So, God is the owner of all that we have, and we are merely the stewards of it. Got it. Ahh, yes – this is where stewardship comes in. Giving back to Him freely and generously is a part of surrendering to our good and gracious God and thanking Him for everything – our health, our families, our friends, our church, our jobs, our wealth ... everything!

Building a stewardship mentality reminds us that He owns it all, and He alone has provided it all. We are told in numerous places in both the Old and New Testaments that we are commanded to give, and that He is pleased when we give with a generous heart and a proper attitude. We are also told that mankind has several purposes on

Earth, and two of those are to glorify Him and to serve Him. It is hard to deny that cheerfully giving to God is a splendid way to both glorify and serve Him.

I’ve written before that the only area in which God tells us to test Him is in regard to giving. Elsewhere, Scripture says do not test the Lord your God (Deuteronomy 6:16, Luke 4:12, Acts 15:10). Yet, in Malachi 3:10, God said,

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”

I invite you and your family to test God in your approach to stewardship and giving. Earnestly, obediently, and regularly giving is a great way to acknowledge that God owns everything and that we are merely stewards of our gifts while on Earth. Test God, as He challenged, by bringing your tithe into the storehouse, and see if God doesn’t pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. I believe He will do as He said.

Remember, the purpose of giving and stewardship isn’t to fund God’s church or His work. The purpose of giving is for us to make our hearts right in our relationship with God, and to demonstrate that we are aware that our purpose on Earth is to honor and glorify Him while furthering His Kingdom. Please prayerfully consider where giving to God ranks among the things in your life, and remember, we are only the temporary stewards of our worldly possessions.