Is there a difference between giving to God and giving to people? Many people think there is. They might think giving to God is only when we take money and other material things to church, while giving to people involves helping the less privileged, our poor neighbours, relatives, orphans, etc.

But this is not really true. The four Gospels in the Bible are full of verses where Jesus said giving to people (not religious leaders) was the same as giving to God. In Matthew 25:40 we are told that on the Judgement Day, God will say to people “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

Also there are more verses in the Bible (old and new testament) that encourage giving to the poor than there are verses about giving to the house of God. But even more remarkable is what Jesus said in Luke 11:42, about the Pharisees who liked to tithe on everything (even spices) but not the most important- justice and love. Jesus was basically saying that God is more interested in how we help and support each other rather than how much we give to a church or our clergy.

So why do many Nigerian Christians think taking their offerings, tithes and seed offerings to church is more important than showing love and support to those less privileged than them? I think its because of greed and fear.

Greed: The average Nigerian wants more blessings. Oftentimes pastors and clergy people lay hands on their members and anoint them for ‘special’ blessings when they are particularly generous. To these members, God will surely answer prayers made by these ‘powerful’ men as against the simple heartfelt thanks of the poor people they help. And so they give to the church because they want ‘powerful’ prayers.

Fear: One of the most quoted verses by the clergy is Malachai 3:10-11. “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, … I will prevent pests from devouring your crops...” Most people fear that if they do not give their tithes and monetary contributions to the church, they may face untimely death, sickness, accidents, and other mishaps. And so they go to church with their offerings and tithes not really in appreciation but out of fear.

I think God chooses to bless us not because of how much we give but because of His love and mercy. Do you think it is because of your tithes, offerings and seed offerings that you are still alive or healthy? What could you possibly give to God that He doesn’t already have? The cattle on a thousand hills belong to Him, the very life and strength you have come from Him!

If only we would take time to study the Bible for ourselves, instead of depending on only what our pastor/priest says, we will really know what God wants. God is more concerned about our motives than our actions. He wants us to show love not blindly obey laws like the Pharisees. People will know we are Christians by the way we show love, not by how loudly we pray or sing or evangelize.

One of the reasons people were drawn to Jesus was his demonstration of love especially to those who were hurting. Over and over Jesus shows us in the Gospels, that demonstrating love is more important than keeping imperfect laws. That’s why He broke religious laws to heal the sick on the Sabbath, to befriend ‘sinners’ and tax collectors, to save the Adulterous Woman, etc.

Remember God loves you as a mother loves her infant son/daughter. He doesn’t love you because of what you do or don’t do, but because you are His most beloved child. Therefore feel free to give out of appreciation for all He has done and is doing in your life.

Don’t limit yourself to showing love in the church alone. When you give to the least person you are giving to God. Also remember that you do not need to give only money, you can give your time, your skills, become a mentor, etc. God is honoured when you do these things out of love, not out of greed or fear.

Hmmm nice one @ Op God is Ominipresent(He is everywhere) so whether you give directly or indirectly to Him, His blessings wont elude you as He is a rewarder of those that dilligently seek Him and honours those who in one way or the other give towards His name!