GIVE UNTIL IT IS A SACRIFICE

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"GIVE UNTIL IT IS A SACRIFICE."
"Is there a sacrifice to your giving?"
"It was not the cash amount that counted with the Lord, but the sacrifice."

These are all lines from a bulletin article I recently received. The idea behind them is very common. Unfortunately they are loaded. They tend to make people feel guilty about what they may not be giving. In my opinion such tactics are counter productive.

The term "sacrifice" by definition is a gift. Therefore, to make a sacrifice is to give. Whether one gives out of abundance or need, it is still a sacrifice. This person is denying himself the use of those resources.

The real problem is the attitude of the heart. Is the person giving to be seen? Is the person giving out of pride? Is the person giving with a false motive, such as getting a return from God? Is this person begrudging what he gives?

In the NT the noun “sacrifice” comes from thusia (Gk), which according to Vine’s “primarily denotes the act of offering; then, objectively, that which is offered.”

The English term sacrifice is derived from Latin [sacer = sacred; ficare = to make]. It categorizes a gift. It is the fact of giving to God that makes it holy or sacred or set apart, hence a sacrifice.

If I give a gift to my neighbor it is simply a gift. If I make a donation to a charity it is simply a gift. But when I give to God through the offering at church it becomes a sacrifice. That money has been set-aside for divine purpose.

By all means let’s exhort brethren to give all that they can. Let’s encourage them to simplify their lives so that they can free up more. Most financial advisers warn people about investing in things that depreciate in value. From an eternal perspective there is nothing material in this world that doesn’t depreciate. Giving to the work of the Lord is an eternal investment. Souls are eternal.