Giving

From 1972 until 1976, I worked at Mueller iron foundry.  It was hot, heavy work, but paid well.  If I am going to spend time away from my family, it should be worth it.  The work was strenuous, but the bosses never pushed us.  Just working there was hard enough.  Often, we would take a short break and sit outside on the fire-escape stairs to cool off.  One day I was sitting on that fire escape with a few other men when a friend confronted me.  He knew that I was a Christian and he delighted in needling me.  But I enjoyed sparing with Him because I felt confident in what I believed.  He said, “I can’t believe that you take 10% of your hard-earned money and just put it in the offering plate and give it to the church!  What a waste!”  Without missing a beat, I replied, “And I can’t believe that you take $10 of your hard-earned money, buy cigarettes with it, and then just burn them up!”  And then we both had a good laugh.  Hey, it depends on your outlook.  If you enjoy the habit of smoking, you spend your money on it.  If you believe that God owns everything, it is no chore to give back a portion of what He has given to you to the church.  Jesus said in Luke 6:38, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”  Hey, you can’t out-give God!  He has given so much to you; the very least that you can do is to give a little bit back to Him.