As a Christian, I believe it is important to give back to God for everything He has given me, and one of the ways that I do that is through ministry. For those of you unfamiliar with church terms, ministry basically just means volunteering for the church. There are tons of ways to volunteer at a church, from helping welcome people to services, to keeping the physical church clean, to serving outside of the physical church in an outreach project. I believe that God has given us all different gifts, interests, and callings partially so that we can use them to serve. My two biggest interests/talents have to do with writing and children, and I’ve decided to use my way with kids to serve God.  I do this by helping take care of the kids on Sunday mornings, and I specialize in infants.

Taking care of the babies every Sunday is one of the most rewarding parts of my week! I love spending time with those adorable babies, and I love getting to know my fellow leaders. The best part is, I know that I’m making a difference because I get to help give parents the opportunity to attend service without the distraction of crying babies, and I get to help make sure the kids know that they are loved. Serving is definitely rewarding!

Another way that I give back is through tithing. Tithing is another church term that means donating money to the church. Now, the real purpose of this is not to “pay your dues” to the church or to try to make your church the wealthiest in town. The purpose of tithing is more symbolic than that; it represents the fact that you don’t really own your own belongings, including your money, and that you are happy to give it away to further God’s kingdom. It’s a way to acknowledge that everything you have comes from God, and that you wouldn’t be able to earn any money without God’s help and blessings. It is a way that Christians learn to loosen their grip on their money and earthly possessions, and instead focus on building up treasure in Heaven (for God promises to reward us for our service to Him when we get to Heaven).

The Bible specifically requests that believers give 10% of our earnings back to God. My husband and I follow this commandment faithfully, and God has blessed us financially! We see our money for what it is—a way to provide for our needs. Because of this, we spend our money wisely, thank God for providing it, give Him back what He requests or more when we can afford it, and try to have an attitude of generosity. To me, helping out a friend with some extra money or donating to a charity is my duty. I have extra money and I don’t need it, but they do. God gave me the money in the first place, so giving it to somebody else in need is something I can do joyfully.

I’m not telling you these things to brag, I promise. The only thing I’ll brag about is how great my God is! I’m telling you these things because I want to share the joy of giving. I want to show non-believers that God is a good God, who loves us and takes care of us, and changes us in ways that make us so much better! I want to show believers that following God is not an aspect of life, it is a lifestyle choice. It should change the way you think and act. God will change you if you sincerely try to follow Him, immersing yourself in His word, His people, and His spirit. And when you do, it is life changing. There is no life like a life lived walking side-by-side with God!

But, nobody is perfect. Even as a Christian woman chasing after God, I have plenty of issues. Even though I do give back to God on a regular basis with my time and money, many of my problems are related to giving. The problem is that I don’t give enough. I give my 10% tithe and I give up 2 or 3 hours a week for the children’s ministry. I occasionally give a generous gift to a friend or family member or donate extra money to a charity. But in general, if I was perfectly honest, I would have to admit that I give the bare minimum.

A couple of weeks ago, my brother got into a car accident and totaled his car. He was lucky enough to receive a good deal on a rental car for a few days, but it started to add up and he still had a while to go until he found a new car to replace it. A few days after the accident, my dad approached me and asked if I would consider loaning my car to my brother for a week or so.

At first, my gut reaction was, “great, how am I going to get out of this?” My car is like a pet to me. She has a name (it’s Stella), and I treasure her for the blessing that she is. I was extremely fortunate to be given a practically brand new car for my graduation present, and I’ve always been grateful for that. A car is a huge advantage to have in life, both practically and financially. I never take that for granted. I show my gratitude partially by driving my car with care and keeping her well-maintained.

My brother is not a bad driver (any more), but I’m still not 100% confident that he is careful enough to be worthy of Stella. As I’ve said before, she is my treasure. So when my dad asked me to lend her to my brother, I was very resistant to the idea. How could he ask me that? She’s mine!

Except that she’s not. God quickly reminded me that nothing I think I own is really mine. He gave me everything I have, and He can take it all away. I’m glad that He hasn’t taken it all away, of course, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s all His. I have no right to deny my brother, who is also my brother in Christ, such a small favor as to lend him my car for a week or so. And so, I did. And it’s hard! I miss driving my own car, and I’m looking forward to getting her back. But I’m also really happy that I was able to let go of her to help my brother.

The moral of the story is that giving is not always easy. As a Christian, God has given me a desire to give back, but that doesn’t mean that money and possessions still don’t have a hold on me. But following God with all of my heart means abandoning everything else that I might be tempted to put before him. That’s why I know that I need to work on being more selfless, generous, and others-focused when it comes to my  time, my money, and my stuff.

What about you? How do you see your time, money, and belongings? I encourage you to work towards becoming more like God by loosening your grip on earthly possessions. Not only will it glorify God and create a Christian community in which brothers and sisters in Christ truly take care of one another, but it will also help free you from the bonds of materialism. Giving feels great, and learning to give without hesitation is a great way to take a step closer to God.

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?”

−Matthew 6:25-27