My Favorite Things

The Great Re-Gift.

We all have been on the receiving end and we have all done something like this.

“I was delighted to be given a figurine for my wedding. Upon closer inspection, I saw that it was engraved with a different couple’s name and wedding date.”

“Someone I know received an oil-and-vinegar set as a wedding gift. It came in a dilapidated old box on top of which was scribbled an encircled number (as if it were marked for a raffle), and the cap for the oil bottle was missing.”

“My friend once recounted how she received a ‘free gift item with purchase’ from her aunt. She knew because she bought a perfume set with the exact same gift item... two years ago.”

“A friend was regifted a massage certificate by her mother-in-law. It had her MIL’s name written and was about to expire.”

“My dad received a frame as a gift. He later had it engraved with a quote and gave it away, not realizing he had sent it to the same person who gave it to him.”

“My brother and I used to go to our uncle’s house during the holidays. One time, we saw a pile of new clothes (gifts people gave him) on the bed. My brother later received the same clothes for his Christmas gift.”

“One Christmas I received a handbag from my aunt. It was too bright for my taste so I gave it to my sister without telling her who it was from. Months later, at a family function, my sister brought the handbag and my aunt noticed it. She commented, ‘I like your bag,’ and my sister replied, ‘Thanks, it was from my sister (me).’ My aunt never said anything after but I knew that she knew.”

“I had an extra bottle of an expensive perfume which I gave to my mom as a random gift. She later told me that the bottle was empty. It turns out that bottle was ‘for photo shoot purposes’ and really came without content.”

“My husband wanted us to give his sister a wallet for Christmas. I remembered I had a never-used Chanel wallet from an ex in my closet. I saw there was a one-thousand-peso bill in it for luck, so I left it in the wallet, and gave it to my sister-in-law. Later she mentioned there had been a love note written on the paper bill. ‘Did you want it back?’ she asked.”

We have all been at one time or another on the receiving end of a re-gift or the giving end of a re-gift. There are a lot of reasons why re-gifting is not really something that people admit to or like.

There are reasons of course and those reasons can translate into the realm of Giving to God.

It’s not always the thought that counts

We have all heard this before. We have even said it, the sentiment is meant to relay a important lesson, especially to those that give what they have even if it’s not as “good as” what others have given.

To be clear, thoughts matter. We need to think about what we give when we are giving gifts to others, and it is important to think about what we are giving to God.

2 Corinthians 9:7 HCSB

Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Paul is telling the Corinthians that coming prepared to give is important, meaning we should decide what we are going to give God before it’s time to do the giving. So yes the thought matters…BUT, just like re-gifting is not something want’s to be on the receiving end of, so too giving as an afterthought is not okay. So what does it all mean what’ should I do when it comes to giving what should I give.

Lets go back to the beginning of the whole thing and look at what others that have done it right and others that have done it wrong have given and what it tells us.

We give the first things!

Genesis 4:2–4 HCSB

Then she also gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel became a shepherd of flocks, but Cain worked the ground. In the course of time Cain presented some of the land’s produce as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also presented an offering—some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,

Notice Cain gave some of the lands produce

Abel Gave the first born of His Flock.

Cain realizes he needs to give something to God, he looks around and sees all that he has grown and he grabs some stuff up, offering it to God. The equivalent of what some do when it comes time to give during the offering. That startled realization that oh it’s time, that looking around and seeing others putting something into the basket or box, and then deciding we have to give to so we reach into our pocket or purse and pull out a crumpled bill or some loose change and toss it into the box we may even have added a bit of pocket lint in there or an old piece of candy.

Contrast that with Abel.

Abel thought about what he was doing, he held back some of the first born of his flock separating them out and tagging them as Gods before he took any. Kinda like that person that you see when it’s time to give, they have their gift ready, it may be in an envelope, if it’s cash it’s held separate in their wallet.

Growing up in the church I was taught about tithing but to be honest it became real to me several years ago reading a Book by this Guy Donald Miller called Blue Like Jazz. I want to read a portion of it to you that will go a long way in explaining it and explaining why what we give to god and what we give to ourselves matters.

(read blue like jazz pages)

Looking at Cain and Abel and at Don, Curt and Rick we see a pattern that we are going to dig into a bit next week as we end this series but today It’s important to look at the What. Weather it’s Cain giving from the leftovers, Abel setting aside the best of his flock, Don looking at a jar full of money wide eyed and wondering how it could just sit there or Rick pointing out that the church does want Don’s money but not for the reasons that some may think, what we give is important because what we give can be a picture of the value we place on our relationship with God and while this is not something that everyone should see it does or can show us what we really value.

We Give The Best Things

Lets look at some of what was going on in the New Testament again when it comes to Giving.

First A woman gives the best she has to annoint Jesus feet.

John 12:1–4 HCSB

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was, the one Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for Him there; Martha was serving them, and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of fragrant oil—pure and expensive nard—anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped His feet with her hair. So the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot (who was about to betray Him), said,

A dive into what Mary is giving here is intersting, Nard came from a fragrant East Indian plant from the Vallerianna Family this is one of the plants from that genus. (show picture)

Looking at conversions will yield differing numbers, with some putting the amount at aroudn 59 K being the equivalent to 300 denarri…others taken today’s economony puts it around 119.00. DOing a bit more digging though we find that a days wages was about 1 pence or denari, 300 was almost a years wages. Depending on where you are teaching and preaching, depends on the value assigned. Here we can place the value in today’s wages at between 20 and 30 thousand, in ohter countries where the value is higher like india it could be up to 219,000 of their curencie. WHile this is all very inttersting what matters is that Mary took the best thing that she had, the thing that took a long time create, that was worth a years wages and gave it to Jesus. What she gave was the BEST.

We too when looking at what we give. We give the best gift that we are able.

But what does we give the best mean when we translate that to how we give to the church.

How do I give the best dollars, do I go to the bank ask for only crisp brand new bills? Do I need to do the whole calligraphy thing when I write my check. What if I give online what does that look like how do I give my best through tithley?

It all comes back to what we started out with today. It’s more than the thought that counts and it is. But the thought matters.

I give my best when I prioritize my giving above my wants.

I give my best when I give regularly.

I give my best when I plan my giving.

We give money

Yes I said it. We give money and yes there is a Biblical principle to giving money. We find it in the Old Testament, over and over, and we find it in the New Testament as well.

We talked about giving to the building of the temple

We have talked about the early church having all things in common, selling all they had giving the proceeds to the church so that no one lacked.

Money is the easiest hard thing to give, and yet it is what we are to do.

Money is the way in our society that bills are paid, that items to minister are procured, that people are able to buy food, that we are able to provide ministry

Here’s a hard thing.

If you have a hard time hearing someone say we need to give money to the church, if hearing that come from the Pastor’s mouth or from a member of the boards mouth bothers you. If it sits there and makes you angry or frustrated ask yourself why. We are not saying give us money. I am not asking you to give Pastor Aaron the whole tithe, the board is not saying give money so we can have it in the bank. We are teaching a principle here that comes directly from the Bible. We give to God through the church. We are not giving to Pastor Aaron, we are not giving to the church council, or the board or fill in the blank. We are not begging you for your money.

I’m not going to promise you that if you give you will get. I’m not going to pray for you more if you give more. Giving to the church will not increase your influence, or make us listen to you any more, nor will not giving get us to listen any less or mean we will not pray as hard.

What I am saying is this. What I am promising is this.

Malachi 3:10 HCSB

Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this way,” says the Lord of Hosts. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure.

This Week’s Challenge

Put God to the test. Give a pre-planned, well thought out percentage gift. See what he will do as you are faithful.