Leftovers can be tasty but are often not as good as they were the first time around. We are wrapping up the year this week. Many people consider year-end giving to their favorite charities. They wait until the last of the year to decide how much they have left over to spare. They may also be cleaning out their closets and pantries, giving to homeless shelters and food pantries the things they feel are crowding their own shelves. Sometimes those things are worn out clothing or cracked, scuffed shoes, or outdated packaged food. Unfortunately, some donations aren't even fit to pass on to those less fortunate and have to be put in the trash.
Many people give God their leftovers. They decide what to put in the offering plate after all the bills have been paid and the entertainment and travel have been enjoyed. Their time for God is limited to an hour occasionally on a Sunday here and there, and heaven forbid if the service runs over one hour or interferes with watching or participating in sports! People use their abilities and talents for their jobs or their hobbies, but don't always think about how they can use them for God's glory. They may have a strong faith but are reluctant to and rarely share that with others.
Thankfully, God the Father gave us his firstborn and only Son. Jesus gave up his life for us in a torturous death on the cross so that he could defeat the devil and give us eternal life. The Holy Spirit gave us our very faith so that we can accept and believe that this is most certainly true!
We ought to honor God with our first and very best of everything, not our leftovers. We should dedicate our lives wholly to him, including our time, talent, treasures and testimony. As sinful people, we all fail to some degree. Thanks to God he continually forgives us and gives us strength to do our best.
Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops. Proverbs 3:9 (NIV)
God, the Father, almighty, we thank you for giving us your first and very best in the gift of your only Son, Jesus Christ. Help us, dear Lord, to give back to you the first fruits of all our gifts, which you first gave to us. May our faith, given by your Holy Spirit, also give witness to others. Forgive us when we falter. Help us to strive to honor you in all that we say and do. In Jesus' name, Amen.
written by Jan Andersen
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