My Life As An Offering

I was laying in bed last night thinking about our kids, and sort of pondering their relationships with God. What percentage of their days are spent thinking about Him? Moving toward Him? Away from Him? And how much of their time do they spend occupied with their own concerns, work, or other relationships? The answers for each of them are different, of course. Two were involved in a cultish church in their younger years, and pretty much fled from anything related to religion after the so-called church members began stalking them and trying to force them to conform. One kid I suppose, would be best described as somewhere between atheist and agnostic, and one was raised Catholic.

Now that I think about it, those things aren't really what I meant to write about today, they're just some thoughts that led up to it. After pondering my kids's spiritual lives, I had to throw mine in there too. Is church once a week only a token that I toss to God? I pray before I eat, so am I living for God? Do my brother and sister tithe, or do they give 5 percent, or maybe 15? Does the percentage matter? It oughta be a sacrifice though. Do they give at all? It occurs to me that I don't know my family as well as I should.

When David was looking for mercy from God in 2 Samuel 24, Araunah said "Here, give Him this stuff!" (paraphrased). But David wasn't about to do that. He told Araunah that he would not give to God that which cost him nothing. A good lesson for us, I think, and it doesn't apply only to our financial offerings, but our lives as a whole. Living sacrifices, as Paul put it. Perish the thought of earning anything from the Lord, but He is worthy of everything we give or do for the sake of the kingdom, or just to glorify Him personally. Go ahead and love the Lord your God with everything in you!