A freewill offering come straight from the heart! After all, it’s about choosing to give to God out of love and gratitude for all He’s done. No pressure, just pure generosity! And guess what? The Bible talks about it too!
- Tithing (giving ten percent): was like paying your taxes in Bible times. It was something God expected everyone to do, which is like how we pay taxes today to keep things running smoothly.
- Freewill Offerings: is like giving a gift to someone you love! You choose how much to give that naturally comes from your heart. It is a way to show your thanks to God and celebrate all the good things in your life.
Giving or Paying
The Bible talks about freewill offerings a lot—you’ll find them mentioned in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy! Back in Bible times, people would bring these special gifts to God during festivals and celebrations. It was like saying, “Thank you, God, for all the good things in my life!”
While all kinds of giving were important, freewill offerings were extra special because they came straight from the heart. It’s like giving a birthday present to someone you love just because you want to show them how much you care.
Would you like to learn more about the joy behind freewill giving? We have a virtual course that helps you and your church understand genuine generosity towards others:
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Giving from the heart
Think of it like giving a gift to someone you love! When you give freely from your heart, it shows how much you care. God loves it when we give back to Him out of love and gratitude for all He’s done for us. It’s a beautiful way to show our appreciation!
Check out these examples of freewill giving by the Israelites:
- Exodus 35:29—The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the LORD, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material for all kinds of work which the LORD, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done.
- Deuteronomy 16:10 (ESV), “Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the LORD your God blesses you.“
- Ezra 3:5 (NKJV), “Afterwards they offered the regular burnt offering, and those for New Moons and for all the appointed feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and those of everyone who willingly offered a freewill offering to the LORD.”
Here’s a worth read: Eason’s Commentary about freewill offerings:
Free-will offering—A spontaneous gift (Ex. 35:29), a voluntary sacrifice (Lev. 22:23; Ezra 3:5), as opposed to one in consequence of a vow, or in expiation of some offence.
The honest truth
It’s simple: “free will” means you give freely! Offerings to God should flow from your heart—spontaneous, generous, overflowing with love! Even in the New Testament, Paul praised those who gave wholeheartedly to support his ministry, even when they didn’t have much themselves. Their generosity made a huge difference!
“That in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.” 2 Corinthians 8:2-4 (NKJV)
And then again in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, we read:
“Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Here’s the amazing thing about giving to God: When we generously support His work, He blesses us in return! It’s like a boomerang – the more we give, the more blessings come back to us. Giving truly unlocks incredible blessings!
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