The heart of giving: The right and wrong ways to give

As Christians, we believe strongly in worship and that can be done in many ways some of us may not necessarily regard as a sign of worship.
However, the true meaning of worship is not just by praying and singing along to praise & worship to the Lord, or even by wearing your best garment and going to church every Sunday.
Worship also includes giving unto the Lord. Just as Proverbs 3:9 says, an example of this could be by ‘giving the first fruits’ from our income onto God. So this could be by giving part of your salary or setting a day aside from your ‘busy’ schedule to clean the church.
There are many ways this can be done, but it is important to do so willingly so that God sees that the generosity is coming from your heart.
In the Bible, 2 Corinthians 9: 6-7 emphasises the importance of being a cheerful giver. The importance of this is to show that you are happy about giving, you are doing so because you genuinely want to and not because you feel that you have to.

Or because you have in your head that “others are doing it, so I might as well.” God sees our hearts and when he sees that we are giving with no doubts or second thoughts, or even in the hope of gaining a reward, we will surely be blessed to reap from it bountifully.
This means, that we as Christians need to see the importance of giving and do so willingly, let us not see it as a chore or as a way to show off to show people at church you are rich. Because when we pay our tithes or give thanks offering to the Lord it should be kept between yourself and the Lord.
Just as Matthew 6: 1-4 says. In verses, 3-4 God said: “But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”
This explains that we should not do it as a way to look big in front of people, but instead, give knowing that you are doing it for God and not for man. It shouldn’t be in a way that we are expecting an outcome from it, like thinking “Oh maybe if I pay my tithes, God will bless me so I can buy that LV bag I’ve had in my basket for a while” for example, but it should be done to meet the requirements of God.

Matthew 6:2 talks about the act of giving in secret and not boastfully. Giving charity, or helping the poor, giving food and unwanted clothes or even caring for the homeless and less privileged are all also good ways to give.

However, it is one thing to do these acts and share it with the world proudly as if you are the first to do such a good thing or to make yourself look good and it is another to do them from the bottom of your heart, in kindness because you know the value and benefit it will have for those you are giving to.
It should be done in secret, between you and God, not in a way to boast and be proud to be recognised by others.
Then there is the most well-known act of giving amongst Christians, and that is giving tithes. Tithes should be seen as a gift to the Lord. Out of all the good things the Lord has done/ or is doing for you and me- what better way to repay him than to bless his house, the church? (Malachi 3: 8-12).
Failing to pay tithes, or even serve the Lord wholeheartedly with the things you do in the church, or by helping to clean the church (as these are also acts of giving) can lead to devourer, but in giving these are rebuked.
God blesses those that give willingly and multiplies their fold to be able to give even more.
A command from God is that we give one tenth of our earning as tithes (Deuteronomy 14: 22-29). This shows that tithes should be given as a way to bless the Lord and his house, that was the law that was set during the time of Moses and the same applies now.
Let’s look at it this way, God provided us with the money, the job, the food and drink so, therefore, it should not be too much for us to just give some of that blessing and repay it onto the Lord.
In doing so you are opening the gate for more blessings and also showing your appreciation onto the Lord (Luke 6:38).