*And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.* 2 Corinthians 8:1–5 (NIV) Giving our financial resources is only one aspect of Christian stewardship. It is no more important than any other area of our Christian walk that requires obedience. However, because of the tangible need to pay the mortgage, to provide salaries for the staff, materials needed for ministry and on and on, there is a perception that churches are more concerned about obedience in giving than other areas of life. Some look at churches and are turned off because they think that they are all overly focused on money. This is heartbreaking to see, because if we are obedient in other areas of our life we will receive the grace necessary for giving. There are some who want you to believe that you can make a deal with God; that giving is similar to a Ponzi scheme in which we can expect to receive a payback of 10 or even a 100 times of what we give. God undoubtedly will bless those who are generous and give faithfully, but the reward is not always monetary. However, I tell you the truth, even if we did not receive any financial blessings or benefits from God, we have already received much more than we have ever given or will give when we stop and consider what a great salvation is ours, what a privilege it is to be called the children of God. A key factor is found in verse 5, which says, *" And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us."* They had discovered that they were not their own, but rather, they were bought with a price and as a result, they became an example that Paul used to inspire other believers including ourselves to give to the Lord and his Ministry. You remember in the Old Testament that Hannah made a promise to God, that if he gave her a son, she would dedicate him to the Lord. We may not have been dedicated to the Lord as Samuel was at birth, but like the Macedonians, we can give ourselves first to the Lord, and then the rest will be possible. We know that a tithe is 10 percent, however, if you are not tithing, you are missing out on many blessings. Generosity is but one aspect of obedience and stewardship on par with service, love, fidelity to name a few. I would encourage you to begin to increase in generosity from wherever you are; if you are not giving anything at all, begin to trust God and give something. If you are giving something, trust God and give a little more. But remember this, most of all give yourself to him first. When we are his, does it not make sense that all we have is his too? *“I fail or succeed in my stewardship of life in proportion to how convinced I am that my life belongs to God.”* -Pearl Bartel