Stewardship Devotion: Gift of God - Ephesians 2:8

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.         Ephesians 2:8

            The word ‘gift’ in the New Testament comes from the Greek word ‘doron.’ It means to offer something that honors and respects the person who is receiving the gift. In the past, a doron was given to kings and queens, generals and leaders as a mark of respect and loyalty. Our modern word ‘donor’ may have its roots in this old Greek term.

            Our gifts and offerings to the church are not meant to be religious obligations or holy taxes. Our gifts are supposed to represent our respect of God and a means of honoring Christ’s work among us. It’s not a convenient way of bringing down our secular taxes or something that we pledge and then forget. Our giving to the church is a faithful expression of who we believe God is and how we actually serve Him.

Question:        Do I respect God with what I give to the church?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You are the gift of God’s grace to sinners like us. We can never repay the debt that we owe You, but we can honor and respect God by what we choose to give to Your Church. Amen.