What Can I Give Him?

What Can I Give Him?


What can I give Him, Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would give Him a lamb;
If I were a wise man, I would do my part:
Yet what can I give Him?
Give Him my heart!
Word: Christina G. Rossetti

This Christmas chorus reminds us what giving is all about. Giving starts with our willingness to give God our heart. In 2 Corinthians 9:6-14, Paul explores and instructs us in the area of giving. When I think of “giving”, at first glance I think of my financial responsibility to God. Without argument, I do believe that this is primarily what Paul was referring to, but I think there is more to it that can be applied to us today. Paul begins by reminding us of the basic agrarian principle that the harvest is directly proportionate to the amount of seed sown. Say I went out last spring and planted one tomato plant, one watermelon seed, and one morning glory seed. I should not expect to have enough tomatoes to supply the whole church, or enough watermelons for a church social, or enough morning glories to beautify my entire back yard. I don’t think I would have enough to feed my family. In order for me to produce a healthy crop, I must sow many seeds. This principle can be applied to our giving. The Lord will bless us in accordance to our giving. I will be the first to say that this is not a promise for prosperity. There are many preachers out there right now that would have you believe that if you give to their ministry, then you will be blessed beyond measure. I do not agree with their mantra. What I do believe is that as we are obedient, the Lord will supply all our needs.
Paul goes on to explain the attitude we should have when we give. When we give, our attitude should be one of willingness not of obligation. Giving should be a joy for, “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). As I said at the beginning of this article, I believe that this passage can be applied to many areas in our life. When we look at our service in the church, we should give with the same attitude. Whether you are working in the nursery, singing in the choir, teaching a Sunday school class, or cleaning a bathroom, you should do it with a heart that is full of love and joy; a heart that loves to give no matter what you get in return. The reward will come. You may not see all the reward on this side of heaven, but believe me when I tell you that you will see all your reward in heaven.
I want everyone in the worship ministry of First Baptist Church Canton to have an attitude that loves to serve and give to the church body. Whenever we begin to feel like what we are doing is a chore and not a blessing, we might need to step back and recheck our priorities. Let us always seek to be cheerful givers in the worship ministry.

Giving Him my heart,
Aaron Hodges