A rich young friend came proudly to my office to announce his plan to give more than $100,000 (in 1970 dollars) to one of God's more visible ministries.  He expected me, he admitted later, to do one of two things: 1) argue for another ministry and their need for this money; or 2) jump up and praise him for his generosity.
"Do you think God needs the money?" I asked.  His pride had not allowed him to face the fundamental about giving:  he needs to give, but God needs nothing.
"Are you mature enough to give this kind of money?"  This question hit him harder than the first.  To my joy he called that night to say he was calling the two spiritual mentors I recommended to work on spiritual maturity before giving.
We are called to think through the grounds of our giving.  Since giving to God is the only proven drain plug on our greed, the hour of decision on giving turns out to be a volatile moment in our Christian growth.
It is also a time of mystery.  I have never understood why God based His ministry on money.  It doesn't make sense to me.  But I get glimpses of how complex money can be.  Most of us hold wealth in soiled hands.  And when we give it away, our dingy hearts are stained with ego involvement in the cause we support.  Our motives can never be 100% pure.
Neither can we expect the recipients to be completely pure of heart.  Those in God's institutions have an understandable affection for the Biblical admonition to give regularly and substantially.  However, any cynicism we harbor about the constant emphasis on money does not free us from our own responsibilities.
A young friend says it best: "I suggest you not give to any cause for which you are not seriously praying."  That means to me that we cannot buy out our obligations with impersonal cash.  Indeed, the gift is a reflection of our full commitment.
In spite of all these bewilderments, God loves those who genuinely get caught up in the joy of giving.  The glad heart has to be your biggest offering no matter how many zeros your banker will honor on the check.

This week think about: 1) How glad is my heart? 2) What strategy do I use for my giving? 3) Who can I help think through the process of giving?
Words of Wisdom: ""The glad heart has to be your biggest offering no matter how many zeros your banker will honor on the check."

Taken from www.breakfastwithfred.com