Honoring Our Father.

....Then if I am a father, where is My honor? -Malachi 1:6 {New American Standard Version}

I have only, always, associated this scripture with tithing and offering until yesterday as I watched the plumbline, with Faisal and Sabina Malick of Covenant Of Life Ministries. They were teaching on financial stewardship and the significance of our offerings unto God. I listened attentively as they focused on the word "honor". I was beginning to have a better understanding about the offerings we gave unto God. And view it from a perspective that I have never seen it before. I was glued to my television set, desperately grabbing onto every word the couples spoke, because I did not want to miss a thing. For a brief moment while in this attentive state, I thought "What a privilege we have as Christians to honor the king of glory with our tithes and offerings ..."

They spoke on the truth that, when an offering was given, specifically as stated in Proverbs 3:9-10 {Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency[from righteous labors] and with the first fruits of all your income; [Deut. 26:2; Mal. 3:10; Luke 14:13, 14.] So shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine. [Deut. 28:8.]} We are blessed with increase. An increase that is not affected by the world's economy. I don't know about you, but to me, now more than ever, that is very good news!

I gathered also that our motive for giving should be taken into account. We give to honor God, not to impress people { Mat. 6:1-3}. In regards to our tithing, we are simply returning to God what belongs to Him. In the book of Malachi the Lord says the tithe belongs to Him! When we don't give our tithes, we are taking what doesn't belong to us, hence stealing from God. Is it wise for a man to rob God? I think I hear a resounding no, lol.

The manner in which we give also is important. An example is in Mat 26:6-13, which describes how the woman with the alabaster bottle, offered to Christ with great reverence. She offered out of the essence of her being as she washed the Lord's feet with her tears. At this point she could have asked for a cloth to dry the lord's feet but she used her hair. As I reflect on this for a minute, for most women I know, their hair in something they don't play with. They invest thousands of dollars yearly just to make it look good. But she didn't stop there, she gave her most expensive possession, and treated it in front of the master, as though it was absolutely nothing compared to the privilege of offering it to her Lord. Hence she broke the bottle and used the perfume to anoint Jesus.

This was very symbolic as Jesus later explained that He was being prepared for His burial. Sometimes when we are led to give, we might not fully understand the sacredness of our giving, as it is tied to the Father's agenda. A lot can be learnt from the manner with which the woman with the alabaster bottle gave unto the Lord. The reverence that went with the offering obviously touched the Lord, hence He said that everywhere the gospel is preached she will be mentioned.

Another example of someone in the Bible whose manner of giving got heavens attention was Solomon. He gave with such reverence, as though nothing he gave was enough for such an awesome God, the God of his fathers. The Lord was so pleased He payed Solomon a visit. My Prayer today is that we learn to give in such a way that pleases God.

For the longest time, giving my tithes and offering was done because it was required as stated in the bible... and there has been many disputes in the body of Christ if "born agains" are even supposed to give their tithes... which is one tenth of what you earn. There are times I go like, "well... God understands, I don't have enough money right now... so, I will start all over again next paycheck". Because of this mind set I have not been consistent giving my tithe nor considered much the significance of my offering. And that is obviously because, I did no fully understand the dynamics involved with giving unto the Lord.

As I listened to the ministers, the longing in my heart to give grew, I wanted to honor the Lord. But I knew for the moment I couldn't give the way my heart desired. As I sat back on my chair almost feeling a sense of sadness, a thought came to my mind almost like a revelation saying " you can honor God with other things that you do..." I was elated! Definitely, there were other things I could do to honor the Father, while I wait for that awesome privilege to honor Him in my substance.

For honor is, the great respect, regard , esteem shown to another. {www.thefreedictionary.com}Every child of God can honor Him in so many ways. This should be a lifestyle... What we do, what we wear, what we eat{healthy food}, at our places of work, in our various vocations, how we treat others, how we take care of our families, in our thoughts..., the opportunities are endless...

As I write this blog post today, I write with a renewed sense of purpose. I write honoring my father, the great "I AM".

How are you honoring Father God today?