Not Neglecting God's House

We will not neglect the house of our God. -Nehemiah 10:39 (NIV)

Not too long ago, I was asked to help someone get their finances in order. Now I'm not the one who does the finances in our home. I've never even considered myself good at numbers. I know that Eli Manning is number 10. I know that I like to be number one in line at the covered dish dinners at church. I know that, if asked to pick a number 1-20, the most likely number picked is 17 (click here to read the study). But nevertheless I am financially responsible (frugal) and so I agreed to help this person who approached me.

Maybe it's because I'm a pastor and it's one of the hazards of the job, but one of the first things that I noticed was that this person (not a member of the church I serve) was not financially supporting his/her church. This person simply felt that her/his financial situation was so strained that he/she couldn't afford to give money to the church.

Because this person wasn't financially supporting a church, I refused to help. Just kidding. In fact, it reminded me of when me and my family were just starting out with a smaller income, a lot of debt, and not a lot of trust that, if we put God first with our wallets, God would provide or grant us the grace to manage what was left. It took us several years to trust God enough to give to God our first fruits, a tithe of our income, and then worry about how we were going to meet the rest of our financial obligations. I could relate to this person who was now seeking help from me with his/her finances.

The decision to not neglect God's house is a theological one for me. I don't give to God because I think that somewhere down the road God is going to give more to me. I give to God as an expression of my trust in God and my desire to put God first and foremost in my life. I give because as a follower of Jesus I believe that I have a responsibility to support the ministry of the church of Jesus Christ.

The person who asked me for help with financial planning is likely still struggling. But he/she has decided that the first check written each month will be to this person's church. This person is not trying to manipulate God but is instead committed to putting God first in every aspect of life.

May God grant you the grace to trust God enough to put God first in every aspect of your life, including your finances.



You can receive these daily devotionals by email every morning. Just scroll to the bottom of the screen and enter your email address into the yellow box.


If you're interested in reading through the Bible in a year, tomorrow's suggested readings Nehemiah 11-12, Psalm 1, and Acts 3. Sunday's readings are Nehemiah 13, Malachi 1-2, and Acts 4. I'll be back on Monday with a devotional from Malachi 3-4, Psalm 148, and Acts 5.