HappyEaster to everyone listening in. At Easter, we celebrate the foundation of ourfaith, because as 1 Cor15:14 puts it, without the resurrection, our faith isuseless. So we give God praise for the gift of the resurrection.

Speakingof gifts, I’ve heardof several instances where people sowed as seeds in church, their family housesor cars; things that did not solely belong to them to begin with. In each ofthe instances that I know of, these acts led to awkward and embarrassing situations,where the rest of the family discovered what had happened, and demanded theproperty back.

Now, I believe totally that generous givingof money and other resources, in and outside of church, is a posture every truebeliever should assume because according to Heb13:16, that iswhat pleases God. Also, from examples like that of the Widow in Mark 12:44, there’s definitely every indication that God applauds sacrificialgiving.

However, Apostle Paul gave advice to the believers of his day, whichhas turned out to be very relevant, many centuries down the line. In 2 Cor 8:12,he writes that one should give according to what hehas, not what he doesn't have. In verses 2-4 of 2 Cor 8, he applaudedthe Macedonian Christians, who even though they were poor, gave sacrificially. Interestingly,even in the Old Testament, the Israelites were instructed to give according towhat God had blessed them with (Deut 16:17).

Weshould never be compelled to put in the offering basket, what is not ours, simplyfor the sake of sowing a big seed. Our giving should be bountiful and cheerful,at the level where we are, and out of what God has given us, and veryimportantly, it must never ever be under compulsion (2 Cor. 9:7). God doesn’tcompare our seeds with those of the next person. He looks at your giving, basedon what you have. That’s why the widow, who gave her two small copper coins, inthe eyes of Jesus, gave more than the many rich people who had put in largesums (Mark 12: 41-44)!

May God grant us grace to always give as thebible says we should, so that our gifts both in and outside of church, will behonourable and acceptable to Him always, in Jesus name we pray, amen.