Matthew 25:24 confesses I was afraid You would rob me of what I earned.

Giving is a sensitive subject in the Church. Why is it sensitive? Because like the man who hid his talent for fear of God requiring more from him so too many fear giving to God lest He require more from them than they are willing to pay.

The assumption is that we have and God needs. The truth is He has and we have needs.

In God’s kindness, mercy and love He has provided for us through creation, our talents and our effort.

In the beginning God promised the man that the earth would provide for him though he would have to work through the thorns and thistles it would endlessly yield.

Most Christians believe God can be bought off with ten percent of their income though the smallest minority even give that much. The truth is God owns everything for He created all things and He sustains all things by His life giving Spirit.

This world is temporary but our proving grounds for testing our loyalty and obedience to God manifested in our surrender of life and means for the furtherance of His will being done on earth as it is in heaven.

Those who fear God will demand more from them than they are willing to pay are in danger of reaping the same reward as the man in Jesus’ parable: eternal damnation.

Those who use what God has given them to create an increase for God’s glory upon the earth will reap the reward of eternal blessing from God.

The Scripture declares that this world is not the Christian’s home. A new heaven and a new earth is coming where those who faithfully served God on this earth will live forever in great peace, joy and abundance.

Believing that God is good means investing now in God’s good ways looking forward to God’s good world where He will live with His people forever.