A church member after being challenged to think, suddenly realizes that the way his or her pastor or church leadership spends church offering, tithes or special offerings has k-leg. Instead of making personal changes, resorts to, “At least God sees my intentions, and all I need to do is continue to give faithfully”. Chai!
Don’t know if you have ever been involved in these types of conversations, I have! I always marvel at people’s inherent simplicity. Trust me simplicity is just a nicer version of foolishness or stupidity.
So let’s examine that philosophy, and let’s see if you can take it if it was offered to you. God has appointed leaders to represent Him and use resources in the direction of His agenda and plan. You give the resources and money you have in good faith to these people, and somewhere between you and them the resources do not get to God’s purpose. You come to realize this, but you continue to give in the same direction. Is that normal? Will you take it? If your debtors decide to give money to you through someone who is known to be notorious to misappropriate funds, would you accept it?
Where did we get the doctrine of simplicity? People say things like, “it doesn’t really matter what the leadership does, we have done our part”. Really? Can you take the same standard?
Well get ready to take the same standard. As you sow to God via channels that are not reaching his objectives, His blessings have also been getting to you via channels that would certainly also do as they please. Think deeply about this, and know for sure that it is true, that in the same way you simply send it on, without care if it gets to destination is the same where God’s blessings will come to you, without care if it gets cornered by someone else.
I once heard of an announcement in a house of worship, where the Pastor announces that the authentic offering baskets are of a particular colour. This means even the Pastor realizes that all the funds are not getting from the pew to the altar, and makes amends by announcing clearly. If the money can miss between the people and the Pastor, do you not think it is possible to miss long before it reaches God? Should we be ignorant, and not guard our seed to ensure it’s being used in the way God approves of? Should we not put our leaders under the burden of responsibility to administer the resources that belong to God correctly?
Stop playing simple with serious things. In the book of Malachi 1: 6-8 God tells his people not to offer to him what their Governor’s can’t take! Can your governor take what you are doing? “I gave the tax to the tax person but didn’t care for a receipt”? Think through what your leaders are doing with your seed, if you are in doubt, give to God through channels you trust. You will be amazed how so much blessed you will be! I have tried this practically, and know from experience that this works!
Has God been getting your alert? Has your seed been channeled towards God’s most important project – Discipleship? Is your money reconciling people to God or building monuments for men? Is your sweat in a cathedral that will perish or in the cathedral that will be eternal – real beings?
God is not mocked! We will reap what we sow! Gal 6:7
